Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon: Guillaume Ruel takes silver

The 20th edition of the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon took place on October 5, 2025, in Saint Helier, at the heart of the largest Channel Island. More than 2,500 runners, including a strong international field, lined up at the start. Among them, French 100 km specialist Guillaume Ruel claimed silver behind Kenya’s Kimtai Kwarat. Britain’s Alice Braham topped the women’s podium, while crowds lining the course offered unwavering support to the field.

For 20 years, the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon has attracted runners from around the world. Forty percent of participants come from overseas. Just 20 kilometres from the French coast, the island race offers three formats: a marathon, a relay and the “Marathon Mile.”

The race starts and finishes at Weighbridge Place in Saint Helier. The course follows St Aubin’s Bay before winding through Jersey along country lanes and roads passing through picturesque villages. Runners take in some of the island’s iconic landmarks, including La Corbière Lighthouse and Elizabeth Castle. The atmosphere is unique, bringing together elite athletes, recreational runners and companies entering relay teams. Proceeds go to local children’s education charities.

Guillaume Ruel, Jersey’s runner-up

The 2024 winner, Normandy-based Guillaume Ruel, a 100 km specialist, had to settle for second this year in 2:19:20, behind Kenya’s Kimtai Kwarat, who won in 2:17:00. That was not far off the 2:16:00 course record set by Nathan Kioko in 2023. The ultrarunner, who holds the European 50 km road record and ran despite having COVID, once again showed his consistency, completing around ten marathons a year. Morocco’s Otmane Menbar rounded out the podium in 2:24:21.

The women’s winner was Britain’s Alice Braham, seventh overall in a blistering 2:40:46. Her performance came as no surprise: the Londoner was an English 3,000 m and junior cross-country champion. She also broke the race record, which had stood since 2013, by four minutes. She finished well clear of her nearest rivals, including compatriot Donna Morris, second in 2:49:33. Germany’s Ulrike Maisch (3:01:57), the 2006 European marathon champion, took bronze to complete the elite podium.

The 20th edition of the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon took place on October 5, 2025, in Saint Helier, at the heart of the largest Channel Island. More than 2,500 runners, including a strong international field, lined up at the start.

A small marathon with a big-party atmosphere

Blustery conditions did nothing to dampen the runners’ enjoyment of this anniversary edition. This small marathon is known for an atmosphere worthy of the biggest events. The highly committed organisers can also count on passionate local support lining the entire course. One runner described it as “ a small race, with a very big atmosphere. ”

The event brings together local residents, participants’ families and a host of enthusiastic volunteers. Runners are carried along by the crowd’s cheers, music and impromptu aid stations. Some even turn up in wonderfully ridiculous costumes. The whole town takes on a festive feel, with local businesses decorating their shopfronts in the race colours. The media never miss the occasion, a reflection of the local passion surrounding the event.

With sea winds, cheers from island crowds and one-of-a-kind scenery, the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon offers a sporting and community experience built on first-rate organisation. Twenty years after its creation, the race has lost none of its appeal and continues to draw runners, volunteers and spectators from all walks of life. On Jersey, performance and camaraderie come together, true to the spirit that has made this unique event such a success for decades.

✔ All the results from the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon