The winner of this years event will probably break the 3 hours barrier, maybe even get down to 2 hours 50 minutes, but back in 1998 a walker achieved the time of 2.22.35………………..a time likely to last for many years to come.
Multi Olympian Chris Maddocks used the Church to Church Walk in 1998 for his final preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpar.
Press report here
He now has written his autobiography “Money Walks” detailing his sports career from running and walking as a youngster through to appearing in 5 Olympic Games and beyond as well as a page on his Guernsey walk!
The book is available from http://www.racewalkuk.com/Book/
Olympic race walker Chris Maddocks of Plymouth City Walkers then proceeded to create a new record for the Church to Church 19.4 miles walk when he recorded a time of 2 hours 22 minutes 35 seconds for the undulating one lap course around the Guernsey Parish Churches.
This time smashed fellow International walker Mark Easton’s time set in 1992 by over two minutes, when Easton was fit and strong after targeting the Olympics that year.
Chris Maddocks flew to Guernsey for a day trip with fellow Devon walker Ed Shillabeer, a frequent visitor to Guernsey walks since 1977 and himself a previous winner of the event.
A race that Chris had always fancied doing but never got around to was walked in style.
The race was to be a final “warm up” before Maddocks flew out later that week to Kuala Lumpar for the 1998 Commonwealth Games 20 kilometres walk.
Before the walk and after a tour of most of the course, by my wife Sally and car, from the Airport at 3 miles around to the finish, I (Rob Elliott) had asked him if he was aware of the Record to which he replied with words to the effect of he had read up on what Mark Easton had recorded. I took that to mean a quick time was on the cards!
The Guernsey Church to Church day gets a page mention in Chris Maddocks autobiography “Money Walks” published in 2012.
From the off he writes that he was on a quest for a fast time, slowed only by the winds along the seafront for the final few miles. Feeling fit and strong he even describes the race as being “exhilarating fun”.
He says he resolutely would not let the pace drop (as can be seen from his split times below!). Carl Thomson, who was to lead Chris around the course as his feeder, vouched for this when telling me what hard work it was, even on his bike.
From the start two races were to develop for the medal positions. Maddocks was out on his own whilst Shillabeer, Trowbridge AC walker Colin Bradley and Guernsey’s Rob Elliott were to fight it out for second place.
By the Forest Church and almost 4 miles and Maddocks had forged a six and a half minutes lead over Bradley and Elliott. At TortevalChurch (6.25 miles apx) Bradley held second place with Elliott and Shillabeer tucked in behind him. Maddocks was by now steaming past the women walkers who had set off half an hour before the men.
A few miles further on and Elliott had dropped 20 seconds behind Bradley and Shillabeer as they went past the Vauxbalets 10 miles point.
Shillabeer made a break between 12 and 13 miles after the down hill section at Rectory Hill which was to be decisive in his bid for second place. Elliott soon walked himself back into contention for third and momentarily passed Bradley in the 16th mile, before Bradley responded and moved back to third.
Going across the Bridge at 16.75 mile, Shillabeer held second place by three minutes, a gap he was to maintain to the finish. Chris Maddocks was by now well finished!
One can imagine what Chris said to Commonwealth team mate Mark Easton once in Kuala Lumpar………”by the way I’ve just taken your Church Walk Record” ?? News had reached the GamesVillage of the performance, by the time Chris arrived with speculation rife about his race prospects.
Maddocks split times:
The course was wheel measured years ago, most of the mile marks are known, however a few have been lost over time due to road resurfacing etc, particularly the 14 mile point giving perhaps skewed mile times around that distance.
Mile 1 is all uphill and steep, with the miles from then to 12 miles undulating, from 12 to 13 is downhill hence the quick mile time before the course levels out for the remaining miles with only one small climb up to the 16 miles point. After 17 miles the course hits the seafront with the winds either with you against you. This race was the latter.
Mile splits as recorded by Carl Thomson as lead cyclist.
1 mile 8.28 (8.28), 2 miles 15.35 (7.07), 3 miles 22.51 (7.16), 4 miles 30.18 (7.27), 5 miles 37.17 (6.59), 6 miles 44.24 (7.07), 7 miles 51.11 (6.47), 8 miles 58.31 (7.20), 9 miles 65.55 (7.24), 10 miles 73.14 (7.19), 11 miles 80.29 (7.13), 12 miles 87.52 (7.23), 13 miles 94.32 (6.40), 14 miles 1.42.23 (7.51), 15 miles 1.49.35 (7.12), 16 miles 1.57.06 (7.31), 17 miles 2.04.20 (7.14), 18 miles 2.11.54 (7.34) 30 kms 2.16.46, 19 miles ?, 19.4 miles 2.22.35.
For comparison here are the Mark Easton splits from his 1992 record breaking walk of 2.24.41.
1 mile 8.20, 2 miles 15.40, 3 miles 23.08, 4 miles 30.51, 5 miles 38.12, 6 miles 45.44, 7 miles ?, 8 miles 60.09, 9 miles 67.21, 10 miles 74.36, 11 miles 81.50, 12 miles 89.15, 13 miles 96.13, 14 miles 1.43.36, 15 miles 1.50.55, 16 miles 1.58.33, 17 miles 2.06.04, 18 miles 2.13.53, 19 miles ?, 19.4 miles 2.24.41.
Results:
Men
1 Chris Maddocks (PlymouthCity Walkers) 2.22.35
2 Ed Shillabeer (PlymouthCity Walkers) 3.00.49
3 Colin Bradley (Trowbridge AC) 3.04.32
4 Rob Elliott (Sarnia WC) 3.05.11
5 Alan Roger (Sarnia WC) 3.36.03
6 Mick Le Sauvage (Sarnia WC) 3.58.16
7 Kevin Le Noury (Sarnia WC) 4.06.24
Women
1 Rose Druckes (Sarnia WC) 4.01.37
2 Pam Fallaize (Sarnia WC) 4.27.54
3 Gabrielle Schutte (Germany) 5.11.35
Guernsey Church to Church Walk 
