From Matthew Kennedy…

Having never been to the Isle of Man and wanting to get some hills under my belt, the Manx Mountain Marathon seemed to fit the bill, with over 9,000 feet of climbing on a 30-mile traverse of the island. Organised by Manx Fell Runners and coming back for its 51st edition, the logistics also turned out to be straightforward enough – train to Heysham and ferry to Douglas, followed by an early shuttle bus to the start in Ramsay on the north east coast. 

It was cool and breezy when we set off at 8am and climbed into the mist shrouding North Barrule, the first summit. After following a ridge along and down to the TT course, we climbed back up to Snaefell – the high point of the island – then descended into bright sunshine. The wind had dropped as well, so from then on it was great weather and terrific views all the way to Port Erin in the south west. 

Besides plenty of hills, the route had a little bit of everything – mostly on moorland paths but with a few roads and trackless sections, mostly over rolling terrain but with a few steep ups and downs. There were also a couple of stream crossings and one very scratchy gorse descent thrown in, to make sure runners didn’t make it to the finish completely unscathed. 

The summits of the north gave way to lower hills in the south and finally to the coastal path, then a dash along the cliffs to the finish at the Bradda Cafe, I managed to catch Wharfedale’s Adam Stirk at the line to come in 18th=. However, we finished just behind a local runner who, as I found out later, pipped me to 1st MV50 by only two seconds. 

The sprint finish had taken a toll after several hours of running in the sun, so I retreated to the cafe bar for a while to cool down and rehydrate. When I re-emerged, it turned out a runner called Jack Wood had just won the half marathon (starting at St Johns in the middle of the island and following the same route to Port Erin). Sure enough, a quick check showed I was not the only Harrier to have made the trip over. 

Since I couldn’t find Jack to offer my congratulations, there was nothing left to do but shuffle slowly into the centre of town and catch the last steam train of the day back to Douglas. All in all, a very friendly and well-organised race, and one that was also a great excuse for a weekend away. 

Results:

Half:

1 Jack Wood 1h45 

122 finishers 

Full:

(1 Ellis Bland 4h34) 

18= Matthew Kennedy 6h11, 2nd MV50 

116 finishers