Health check ahead of Guernsey marathon

Guernsey Chest and Heart are encouraging islanders over the age of 25 to come in for a free health check.

Then, if you get the thumbs up, they'd also like you to run the Sportingbet Guernsey Marathon. They say islanders shouldn't rush in to these things and should get the all clear before the big day on August 29th.

There's more than six months to go so plenty of time to train. The relay takes you along the same course as the marathon and is open to teams of five runners, of all abilities, with sections of between 4.1 and 6.8 miles.

"Exercise is very important for a healthy heart no matter what form it takes. While we are not advising everyone to dash off and run a marathon - a sensible, structured approach taking into account your fitness levels will be beneficial to your health. Having a goal such as the marathon will ensure you keep to any fitness regime," said Guernsey Chest and Heart Unit manager Carolyn Oxburgh.

"However, if you are going to do to a marathon then you should check your health first. At the Chest and Heart we provide free, five yearly, health screenings for islanders over the age of 25. All the information we collect is then passed on to your GP who will check to see if you can start training," she added.

Marathon Club of Guernsey member Vicki Abraham is encouraging all those who can to sign up with or without friends or family and get training for the event.

For more information on the marathon visit www.guernseymarathon.gg/ or call 246668. (from CTV)