‘No other event brings Jersey together like the marathon’

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This is a big year for runners, as the Jersey marathon celebrates its 20th anniversary. Henry Baye from lead sponsor Standard Chartered Jersey and “shoepurb” runner Karl Fitzpatrick discussed all things community and running with Meg Winton ahead of this year’s event

EVERY October, thousands of locals and visitors throw on their running shoes to tackle the routes, roads and paths of the Island for the Standard Chartered Jersey marathon.

And this year is a special one, as 2025 marks 20 years since the first marathon event, so what better time to reflect on its two-decade history than now?

Henry Baye is chief executive of Standard Chartered Jersey. The bank has sponsored the local marathon event for 20 years, proudly supporting the runners getting out there for a good cause.

Regular runner Karl Fitzpatrick is better recognised in the large Jersey Hospice shoe costume. He has completed a number of marathons in said shoe now, including the 2025 London Marathon, where he made national news for giving some sweets, gels and encouraging words to footballing legend John Terry.

Let’s take it back to the beginning. Why was the Jersey marathon established?

Henry: Jersey is all about wellbeing, community and charity. When you go back to the start, they are the reasons that the Jersey marathon was introduced. It brings the community together, promotes wellbeing and helps raise funds for charities across the Island who are doing amazing stuff.

What principles guide the marathon to this day?

Henry: There are four – community, charity, sustainability and safety.

When you talk about community, I don’t think there’s an event that brings Jersey together like the marathon does. It unites everyone from kids and adults to running clubs and ordinary people who want to get fit and run. The other beautiful thing is how the event brings people from all over the Island out along the course to cheer people on.
And it’s not everywhere in the world you see the spirit of generosity, where people want to stretch their own limits, purely to raise funds for charity.

Just entering the marathon is supporting Futuremakers, Standard Chartered’s global initiative that aims to tackle inequality and promote greater economic inclusion for young people in local communities. A percentage of the entry fee is donated to the cause.

Over the years, we have tried to make the marathon more sustainable, so we’re not doing harm to the environment, and we work very closely with St John Ambulance to provide a safe environment for people to run and really enjoy it.

How does the Jersey marathon compare to events elsewhere?

Karl Fitzpatrick has run a number of marathons in his shoe costume to raise money for Jersey Hospice Care. Picture: LEILANI VIBERT

Karl: I’ve run some big majors – London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brighton – but with Jersey, it’s like a family. All the people who generously donate want to see you and give you a high five.

It’s unique because you know there will be little pockets of people along the route saying hello, and they’ll follow you and see you six or eight miles later. It’s harder to do that somewhere like London or Berlin.

It’s special because everybody has an opportunity to see you three or four times without any hassle. And sometimes, that’s what you need – people to meet you at a certain place that’s quiet or where you’ll be struggling.

An event of this scale requires a lot of work to make it happen. What goes into staging a marathon every year?

Henry: For us as sponsors and for the trustees of the marathon, we work with 3D Events, who are masters. From getting the permits required to marking the routes to barricading streets, there is a huge amount that goes behind it.

St John Ambulance are so well organised year after year to make sure that whenever people need help, they are there.

But beyond that is a sea of volunteers; you can’t do it without them. They range from Standard Chartered staff to regular Jersey citizens who just love this marathon.

We have volunteers who man our command station. They’re looking at the entire course, getting messages from marshals and they know when the first person is going to cross the finish line.

Karl: About ten years ago, I volunteered. It’s a really good thing to do if you can’t run but still want to give back and help the community.

Henry: I had the opportunity of honouring Jane Allan of St John Ambulance a few years ago. She has been working on the marathon since the day it was launched. These are the stories that make the marathon really beautiful, so it’s a good opportunity to thank all the people who make this wonderful event happen year-on-year.

How do you think the marathon will evolve in the coming years?

Karl: I hope that in the next ten years, we can double the number of entries. If we can get more and more runners, it’s only going to be good for the Island.

Henry: We love sponsoring this marathon as a bank and will continue to do so. It’s only going to get bigger, better and bolder.

When the marathon first started, 300 runners ran; we’re now hosting thousands of people. We’ve gone from a few hundred pounds to raising thousands of pounds every year. It can only get bigger.

It’s going to get better in terms of sustainability. We’ve gone from putting jerseys in a plastic bag with a plastic bottle, to now ensuring that there are water dispensers and no single-use plastics. Last year we introduced donations of running shoes to promote recycling.

It’s certainly going to get bolder with all the things we’re doing to make this marathon more exciting.

I want to throw out a challenge. This is the 20th anniversary of the Standard Chartered Jersey marathon and there are going to be some very special names running this year.

I’m not going to give anything away, but you don’t want to miss out on that badge that says “I ran in the 20th-anniversary Jersey marathon”.

Therefore, start lacing up your shoes, getting ready and let’s see you at the start line.