Sunday 30 November 2014

The 2015 Manx Telecom Parish Walk - the first 30 minutes after entries opened

First entry

 - Richard Highfield - ID no = 8641; 2  finishes and best time of 21:14:13 in 2014
First 3:

Richard Highfield
Chris Lovgreen
Simon Williams

4th

 - David Cretney - ID no = 145; 3  finishes and best time of 19:01:54 in 2009

7 so far:

Entries to date ID Finishes First finish PB Year
David Cretney 145 3 2006 19:01:54 2009
Craig Fletcher 9560 #VALUE!
Richard Highfield 8641 2 2013 21:14:13 2014
Nicola Jagus 3804 #VALUE!
Ewa Kowalewska 9968 1 2014 23:49:55 2014
Chris Lovgreen 9607 #VALUE!
Simon Williams 10099 #VALUE!

Brian Coleman number 8

6.45 am update:

David Cretney - ID no = 145; 3  finishes and best time of 19:01:54 in 2009
Craig Fletcher - ID no =9560;  Debut - 2013
Mark Higginson - ID no =9220;  Debut - 2012
Richard Highfield - ID no = 8641; 2  finishes and best time of 21:14:13 in 2014
Nicola Jagus - ID no =3804;  Debut - 2006
Ewa Kowalewska - ID no = 9968; 1 finish in time of 23:49:55 in 2014
Amy Lace - NEW
Chris Lovgreen - ID no =9607;  Debut - 2013
Chris Moore - ID no = 104; 5  finishes and best time of 17:48:12 in 2014
Simon Williams - ID no =10099;  Debut - 2014

Thursday 27 November 2014

Kath Quirk - 22 Parish Walks without a finish in sight



A few months ago, when I ran a story about Chris Lyon being the most successful, unsuccessful walker in the history of the Manx Telecom Parish Walk, I was contacted by Kath Quirk (in photo with husband Charlie) to say that she had walked 22 without a finish.

German 09:07:20 1990
German 08:10:50 1991
Arbory 03:45:00 1992
Santon 02:45:00 1993
Ballaugh 10:56:00 1995
Rushen 04:39:00 1997
Rushen 04:55:00 1998
German 08:25:36 1999
Michael 10:13:00 2000
Rushen 04:39:00 2001
Ballaugh 11:09:00 2002
Malew 03:51:00 2003
German 09:26:48 2004
Rushen 05:13:00 2005
Santon 02:59:00 2006
Santon 02:52:05 2007
Santon 02:53:59 2008
Rushen 05:30:29 2009
Santon 03:04:45 2010
Rushen 05:13:34 2011
Santon 03:09:56 2012
Rushen 05:22:03 2013

I would still call that record a success - and its 17 times more than Charlie!

There is no finish in sight for Kath who keeps going year after year.

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Manx Telecom Parish Walk Rules 2015


 Classes

1.       The open walk is over the 85 mile course and competitors must be aged 21 years and over on the day of the walk. There will be an additional Ladies prize list. To be classified as a finisher, the walk must be completed in a time of not more than 24 hours.
2.       The race for those aged a minimum of 18 and under 21 years on the day of the walk is to Peel, a distance of 32.5 miles. There will be separate prizes for Ladies and Men.
3.       The overall team race is for teams of 4 walkers and cannot include more than 2 walkers who have previously completed the full 85 miles. All 4 walkers’ distance walked to count and the team with the most miles will be deemed the winner. In the event of a tie on mileage then the fastest aggregate time for the 4 walkers will determine the winner. There will be a separate prize list for teams of 4 ladies.
4.        The Corporate Challenge is for teams of 4 walkers who are all bone fide employees of the same Isle of Man based company. Teams may include no more than 1 previous finisher. All 4 walkers’ distance walked to count and the team with the most miles will be deemed the winner. In the event of a tie on mileage the fastest aggregate time for the 4 walkers will determine the winner. 
5.       The Under 21 team race is for teams of 3. All 3 walkers’ distance walked to count and the team with the most miles will be deemed the winner. In the event of a tie on mileage then the fastest aggregate time for the 3 walkers will determine the winner. There will be separate prizes for Mens’ and Ladies’ teams.
6.       No competitor may be in more than one team.

Rules

1.       No running or jogging is allowed. The race is organised under IAAF rules of race walking. This event will be judged as a Category B Race and Rule 230 interpreted accordingly.  The use of poles and any artificial aids are prohibited.
2.       Pacing i.e. an attendant driving, walking or cycling with a competitor is not allowed. Pacing will result in time penalties or disqualification. Attendants must walk behind competitors when supplying drinks etc.
3.       Race numbers must be unaltered and displayed front and back on the outer layer of clothing above waist height at all times and must not be obscured by waterproofs or rucksacks. After Ballaugh, for walkers safety rucksacks are not permitted as they obscure the reflective bib.
4.       The route must be followed as laid down by the organisers and all officials and marshals instructions are to be obeyed.
5.       Competitors must wear light coloured clothing and a bib that displays significant reflective material when worn with a number. For competitors safety the wearing of headphones is not recommended. Competitors must walk on the right hand side of the road facing oncoming traffic except where indicated by signs or directed by marshals, crossing the road at junctions, where a footpath exists on the left hand side only and on Douglas Promenade.  After 22.00 walkers must wear an illuminated light source that is visible from front and rear.
6.       Only one support vehicle per entrant is permitted on restricted roads. Camper vans and larger vehicles will not be permitted on closed roads.  Support vehicles must display a race number. No parking and giving assistance to walkers is prohibited along the No Stopping Zones as designated on the route description. All forms of support vehicles must obey road traffic orders.
7.       Competitors continuing beyond Ballaugh must be individually accompanied by an attendant in a car. The sharing of a support vehicle is not permitted. Attendants must wear hi-viz reflective clothing.
8.       If the time limit for arrival at a check point is exceeded, then the competitor may be asked to retire by a race referee. All retirees must report to officials at a checkpoint. If they stop en route then report to the next church along the course. Failure to report will mean omission from the final results. All timing chips are to be returned within 14 days. Failure to do this will incur a £25 penalty that will be taken from your payment card.
9.       The race referees have the absolute power to withdraw any competitor deemed to be physically unfit to continue. A certificate of medical fitness may be requested by the race referees prior to the event.
10.   The Committee reserve the right to cancel or alter the race. The organisers will not be liable nor responsible in any way whatsoever for any bodily injury or damage to property arising out of the race.
11.   All entries must be made before 23.59 on May 10th 2015. Entries are not transferable and refunds will not be given.
12.   Photographs and entry data may be used for promotional purposes.
13.   Time penalties will be imposed for any infringements of the above rules, excluding Rule 1.
1st Infringement -15 minutes
2nd Infringement – 45 minutes
3rd Infringement- Disqualification
These time penalties will be added to the race time at the conclusion of the race. In the event that the penalties added take the total time over the 24 hour limit, then that competitor will not be classified as a finisher. 

Failure to comply with road safety regulations will lead to disqualification without warning.

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Manx Telecom Parish Walk 2015 entries open this Monday!


The countdown to the Manx Telecom Parish Walk 2015 has begun with entries opening this Monday [December 1]. There are discounts available for those who sign-up early. Those entering before January 31 will pay £30, entry before March 31 costs £35, and after that it is £40. Manx Telecom customers entering before January 31 will receive an additional £5 discount.

All entries must be made online at www.parishwalk.com and the final closing date is May 10. The 85-mile race is on Saturday June 20, starting as usual from the NSC. Certificates will be awarded to all walkers who complete the full 85-miles in under 24 hours. Sub 18 hour finishers receive a gold certificate, 18 to 21 hour finishers receive silver, and 21 to 24 hour finishers, bronze.

There is a Corporate Team Award for teams of four walkers who are all from the same Isle of Man based company. Teams may include no more than one walker who has previously completed the full 85 mile distance. The winners will be the team with the highest aggregate distance covered by all four members. In the event of a tie on mileage, the fastest aggregate time for the four walkers will determine the winners. The Overall Team race is for four walkers and cannot include more than two previous finishers who have completed the full 85 miles. The rules for determining the winners are the same as those for the Corporate Team Award. All participants in the team competitions must enter individually and include their team names.

Younger walkers aged 18 to 21 can also compete, with prizes for the first male and first female competitors to cover the 32.5 miles to Peel. There’s also a competition for teams of three in the same age group over the same distance. The winners will be the trio with the fastest combined time, and there are separate prizes for men’s and women’s teams.

David Smith, Manx Telecom Marketing Director, said:
“2015 will be our fourth year as title sponsor and we’re already looking forward to the big day on June 20. The Manx Telecom Parish Walk is always a great occasion in the Island’s sporting and community calendar, and our main goal as sponsor has always been to support the hard work of the organisers and encourage new participants from all ages to take part. In previous years our customer discount on entry fees has proved to be very popular, so we’re delighted to offer this again for 2015. In the New Year we will also have some exciting announcements which will add even more fun to how everyone experiences the event.”

Last year Manx Telecom extended its commitment to sponsor the Parish Walk until 2017. The company’s support for the event goes back to 2007 when it began sponsoring the official timing and results service. Richard Gerrard won the 2014 race, with David Walker second and Richard Wild in third. The ladies winner was Janette Morgan who crossed the line ahead of Janice Quirk and Joanne Cubbon. The under-21 winners were Alex Eaton and Danielle Oates. A total of 184 completed the 85-mile course within 24 hours – 71 of them managing the full distance for the first time.