One of the Island’s best known May 24 Marathon Derby competitors is questioning the changing of the event’s name and the decision to make it a measured half-marathon course that starts and finishes on a road.

Scotsman Mike Whalley, who has been on the Island much of his life, said yesterday: “I’m a wee bit amazed that these changes have been made, given that Bermudians are behind the race.”

In his prime Whalley repeatedly challenged for the Island’s road running bragging rights, finishing among the the top five in the Island’s signature race, which will be held for the 97th time this Thursday making it one of the oldest continuously held running events in the world.

However, like a number of athletes, he is concerned the event will lose its unique character by becoming just another officially measured half-marathon course like countless others around the world, reflected in its new name the May 24 Half-Marathon Derby.

Since the first race in 1909, the event has been held on various courses, sometimes starting in Hamilton and heading out to Somerset or St. George’s and sometimes in the other direction.

Often times the race started with a lap of a sport’s pitch and ended on another recreation field (in recent years Bernard Park), for a long time it was also tied to Court Street with a start or finish in that part of town. The race distance has fluctuated through the years and that quirkiness has added to its Bermudian charm, Whalley believes.

Now in his 60s, Whalley continues to be one of the Island’s most active and competitive road runners.

He said: “It has been called a marathon but it has never been an exact distance. It has always been a hodge-podge. It was called a marathon because everyone knows when you run (this race) in Bermuda it feels like a marathon. I’ve seen some of the fittest people collapsing in the heat.”

This year’s May 24 Derby committee have decided to make the course an official, measured half-marathon to bring it in to line with international race distance standards. In the past few years the distance has been around 13.2 miles, marginally beyond the official half-marathon distance of 13.1 miles.

As part of that new international race criteria the event must also now finish on a road and not a grass park.

Whalley said: “Finishing on the grass was never a problem — and grass is softer than road if you fall over, and at the end of this race I’ve seen a lot of people collapse because they push themselves so hard.

“The race was always unique and now it is losing some of its uniqueness. I remember when you had to do two laps of Somerset field at the start. People overseas know about this race and its quirkiness.

“I’m not hooked up on setting it at an exact distance. We have measured half-marathons in Bermuda in November and January. May is not a time of the year to be looking to set a personal best. The race is governed, not by the legs, but by the heat and humidity.”

Whalley paid tribute to the volunteers, sponsors and amazing crowd support that makes the event something special, even for runners who have raced in famous events around the world.

He feels organisers are missing the point by changing the race to an official distance and removing its grass park finish.

“I love this race and I’m passionate about it. I’m surprised Bermudians would throw away something like this.”