Stephen Collas, chairman of the charity, said 260 people had registered online and it looked like at least 100 more would sign up on the day.

Registration opened at 8:00 a.m., and by 8:30 a.m. a large crowd had already gathered in the parking lot next to Vistas. About 10 minutes later, some groups decided to leave, followed by others, so that by 9:00 a.m., the official start time, most people were already on the move.

Mr Collas said the charity was likely to introduce a staggered start next year. “I think the runners will sign in at 8am and start at 8.30am and the walkers will sign in at 8.30am and start at 9am,” he said.

He jokingly wondered if the quick start was because people wanted to make sure they got a cupcake at the finish line (Tower No. 5 in L’Ancresse).

The cakes were provided by sponsor Aztec, with some featuring the company logo and others featuring the charity logo.

Some runners said they were inspired by the thought of a cake at the end.

“We just want to get there before they run out,” said Adrian Lihou of the Kipchoge Plan team.

This group of runners was founded about four years ago at the suggestion of the former marathon world record holder. Although there are 10 members, only six took part this year due to other commitments.

“We usually meet on Sundays anyway, go for a run and then have a coffee or two,” said Mr Lihou.

“It’s good to raise money for charity.”

“And it’s a beautiful route,” added Jason Powers. “It makes Guernsey, Guernsey.”

The Merris family of five included 21-month-old Mia, who was carried in a baby backpack by father David. He said this was the first time he had walked a long distance with the carrier. “It remains to be seen whether this is a good idea,” he said.

However, 6-year-old Foy was optimistic.

“We often ran long distances without getting tired,” he said.