The clock is ticking down to this year’s extra special 20th anniversary Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon on 5th October – and whilst the event is always a big fixture in the local community sporting calendar, this year promises to be bigger and better than ever!
Over the past 20 years, the Marathon has grown steadily – in terms of runners and in the ways in which it touches the local community. Last year, nearly 2,000 runners took part raising significant amounts of money for charities on the Island and further afield.
Every year, a considerable effort is put into thinking about how the event could be evolved – to make it more accessible and inclusive, to boost participation, and to make it a more sustainable event.
Last year, for instance, saw the introduction of a new ‘Trainer drop-off’ initiative. Eighty pairs of trainers were donated by runners at the end of the race, for charity. This year, organisers are adding a new Jumper drop-off scheme. With hundreds of people on the Island using clothing charity support all year round, these valuable donations and generosity help enormously.
And, to mark the 20th anniversary, there are special prizes for those runners who are the 20th, 120th, 220th, 320th, 420th – and so on – to register!
The number of runners in the Jersey Marathon has grown year on year, with participants of all ages and abilities welcome, many travelling from the UK and further afield. And this year, there’ll be some special runner appearances too – including Rhino Boy Chris, and Jemma the Alphabet Runner! We caught up with both, to check in on their training and thoughts on taking part in the 20th Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon…
Chris Green – aka Rhino Boy Chris!
Chris will be 50 at the time of the Jersey Marathon – that’s a lot in rhino years – and lives in Dorset. He runs marathons regularly in his familiar rhino outfit and loves taking part in the Jersey Marathon.
“I’ve loved rhinos since I was a boy, so when I found out they were in under real threat of extinction, I decided to do everything possible to help the charity, Save the Rhino International” explained Chris.
“I’m now proud to represent them as their Ambassador.”
He last ran the Jersey Marathon in 2023 – a race he’ll never forget.
“I had the privilege of running beside my great friend Will the ‘Jersey Gorilla’, whom I’d met at the London Marathon the year before. For someone who has spent their whole life standing up for animals it was one of my best ever days to run beside Will and promote the conservation cause together.”
“The Jersey Marathon does so much to help so many causes and it’s such an honour to be a part of that,” added Chris. “It’s the joy of my life to get to wear the rhino costume at events and whilst training, it brings smiles to so many faces!”
To date Chris has run a whopping 183 marathons and ultra marathons, and of those 118 have been run dressed as a rhino. In fact, he holds the Guinness World Record for ‘most marathons run in the same three-dimensional costume’ and still holds the record for ‘fastest marathon dressed as a mammal’.
Last September, Chris went to Kenya with the rhino costume, where he got to see first-hand some of the projects Save the Rhino have been undertaking – something that’s made him more determined than ever!
“Jersey is a unique, beautiful and very special island,” said Chris. “Last time I ran the marathon everyone was so kind and supportive. I felt like the whole island got behind this campaign to help rhinos.”
When it comes to advice for other runners, Chris is all about the atmosphere.
“Enjoy every second,” he said. “Like the island itself, the Jersey Marathon is one of a kind and you need to savour the atmosphere, the stunning views and the people all around you. It’s the camaraderie that gets you through and those are the memories you will treasure.”
Jemma Henderson – Alphabet Runner!
UK-based runner Jemma is running for a very different reason. She’s enjoyed running for years as a way to get fit – but increasingly she’s found running to be beneficial for mental health and as a great stress relief.
In her mid-40s, she set herself the challenge of running at least one marathon a year – and more recently, she’s upped her game and decided to take it a step further, with the aim now to run the A-Z of marathons!
“It means running a marathon which starts with each letter of the alphabet – not necessarily in order though,” says Jemma. “The Jersey Marathon will be my 20th marathon and 17th alphabet marathon – I’m looking forward to including a ‘J’ in my marathon alphabet.”
And this will be a particularly special run because it will also be Jemma’s first visit to Jersey! She’s looking forward to exploring the Island together with her partner and daughter.
In terms of training and preparation for her ‘J’ marathon, Jemma is on track.
“It’s been a little slow to get going but I’ve started ramping up the number of runs and making sure I do a longer run at the weekend,” she says. “I feel like I’ve not done enough training, but I always feel like that! I know I’ll have done enough to get me round by the day of the marathon.”
Asked about her advice for others running this year, having the right mental approach is really important.
“Mindset is key. If you know at the start line that you’re going to be running 26.2 miles and get your mind prepared for it, it’ll take you far. If you have friends or family supporting you on the day, knowing at which mile they’ll be waiting for you helps too, as you have something to keep your mind occupied. Also – don’t start off too fast!”
Special Reasons
The great thing about the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon is that everyone – young, old, local or visitor – is running for their own special reasons.
Keep your eyes peeled on race day, and make sure you give Chris and Jemma a wave!
The Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon will be held on Sunday 5th October 2025. The start and finish point is at Weighbridge Place, St Helier. The Marathon starts at 9am, the Titan Wealth Relay Race at 9.30am and the Marathon Mile starts at 10am.
Click here for more information about the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon.
