Time running out to sign up for Manx Telecom Parish Walk

To be on the Manx Telecom Parish Walk start line at the NSC this year you have to sign-up before May 11.

Sunday May 11 is the deadline for entries to this year’s Manx Telecom Parish Walk, including those who want to take part in one of the team competitions. This year’s event – which begins at 8am on Saturday June 21 at the NSC – features an under 21 category for teams of three walkers aged 18 to 20 on the day of the race competing to be the fastest to cover the 32.5 miles to Peel. The winners will be the trio with the best combined time of all three walkers, with separate prizes of trophies and smartphones provided by the event sponsor for each member of the winning men’s and women’s teams.

As well as the under 21 category this year’s event will again feature a Corporate Challenge for teams of four who must all be bona fide employees of the same company, with no team having more than one member who has previously completed the full 85-mile Parish Walk. There is also an overall team competition with the rule that no more than two of the four team members have previously finished the full Parish Walk course. All participants – including those for all of the team categories – must enter individually. To enter the team events, entrants simply put the name of their team or Corporate Challenge team on the online entry form. For all of the team competitions, if you have already entered individually there is still time to join a team as well – but this must be done before the May 11 deadline.

Entry for all competitors costs £30 which includes a commemorative Manx Telecom Parish Walk technical tee-shirt and goodie bag. All entries must be made at www.parishwalk.com

The timing website this year – www.mt.im/parishwalk – will show the main leaderboard for the elite walkers, and allow visitors to track the progress of up to ten friends. In addition, it will show leaderboards for all of the team races. The site is also easily accessible on the main www.parishwalk.com website.

The 2014 race will be the 101^st Parish Walk in its current format, and the 20^th Parish Walk overseen by Ray Cox as Race Director. Manx Telecom became title sponsor of the Island’s biggest mass participation sports event in 2012, and recently extended its sponsorship to 2017.