One of the major parts of the Easter Sports Festival, the Easter Athletics Festival, starts this Friday. This year the event is celebrating its 50 anniversary and this has attracted the largest entry since the events heyday in the 1980s.
Around 350 competitors, from all parts of the British Isles will be competing for honours in the three day event which is supported by the Department of Economic Development and promoted by Manx Harriers.
The Festival will burst into life on Good Friday evening with the Blue Riband of the Festival – the 10 kilometre Road Race – supported by Bushy’s and held on a scenic route in the Port Erin and Port St Mary area. The race starts at 19.00 close to Port Erin Breakwater and usually attracts a large crowd of spectators. The route finishes outside the former Marine Biological Station.
Guest of Honour is marathon legend Ron Hill. At 73 he will just be aiming to complete the course. Look out for Ron, he will be wearing race number 1.
Entries are still being taken for all three events but incur a £2 per race surcharge. Locals taking part on Good Friday are reminded that race registration takes place at Rushen FC clubhouse (Croit Lowey) between 17.30 and 18.30 and are asked to park in the upper part of the village rather than on the Promenade. There are usually a large number of entries on the night so the organisers are hopefully of a field approaching 400 which will make a spectacular sight.
Motorists in the south of the island, in particular, are asked to take extra care on Friday evening, from around 18.30 to 20.00.
