Early risers from education are tackling a 100-mile charity run for the second year.

Accomplished runners, those with some miles under their belts and novices make up ‘Team Ed’, which has entered the Children’s Centre’s Race the Sun.

Starting on Peel Promenade at sunrise on Saturday 19th May, team members will run legs of the dramatic Raad ny Foillan, the coastal footpath, arriving back in Peel at sunset.

Described as ‘not for the faint-hearted’, the event, sponsored by the Mann Made Group, is in its fifth year and has already raised £27,087 in support of the Children’s Centre’s charitable projects.

Chris Kirk, a teacher at Foxdale School, will be joined by Rob Sellors, Headteacher of Cronk-y-Berry Primary School; Adrian Shorthouse, Headteacher at Scoill Vallajeelt; Rachel Holden, a teacher at Laxey School; Tom Williams, a teacher at Castle Rushen High School; Aalin Clague, a teacher at Bunscoill; Illiam Quane, a student at Ramsey Grammar School; Judith Quane and Nicola Lewthwaite, administrators at Laxey and Victoria Road schools respectively, and John Swindlehurst, a civil servant at the DEC’s central office.

Five of the team took part last year, when Team Ed finished fifth and raised more than £300 for the Children’s Centre.

Donations can be made via any team member or via the Children’s Centre’s website.

Chris said: ‘The team have all had a go at running their leg of the race. It has been a tough call for most of us, as the coastal footpath throws up challenges around every corner – from steep hills, to narrow cliff top paths and, of course, sand.

‘For some of the team, the event will provide them with a “longest distance finished” tick in their running diaries – and they’ll have one or two blisters to show for it.’

Chris continued: ‘It's looking like being a great race, especially as each team has to set its own start time to end as close to sunset as possible. Hopefully there won’t be scutch of runners shivering in a corner of Fenella Beach car park waiting for 9.22pm.’