LOCAL charities stand to benefit by thousands of pounds this weekend when the Shoprite ‘Cycle for Life’ event celebrates its 20th anniversary with two cycling events for young and old.
The festival, which has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities since its inception in 1992, sees competitors young and old tackle two separate courses on the Island on Sunday.
The ‘Family Fun’ cycle sees youngsters taking to Douglas promenade with the over 8s going from the Sea Terminal to Summerland and back and the under 8s going to the War Memorial and back. All participants receive a complimentary tee shirt and there are also refreshments in the Sea Terminal for everyone.
There will be a simultaneous TT Mountain Course relay for adults, with the course divided into seven stages of five to six miles each. Teams have the options of selecting seven individuals to each take a leg or team members can also ‘double up’.
The varied course includes flat sections such as the Wildlife Park to Ramsey Bus station, the challenging climb from Ramsey to Guthrie’s memorial or the downhill run from the Bungalow to the TT Grandstand.
Hundreds of competitors are expected to take part in both events with both individuals and teams signing up for the event. Over 20 corporate teams are confirmed to take part in the TT Relay Cycle including KPMG, AON, Canada Life, Standard Bank, Zurich, Equiom, Redpoint PR, Ardern & Druggan, CVI Tech Optics and Royal London 360 and two teams from Shoprite.
A number of organisations have also confirmed their participation including the Chamber of Commerce and The Isle of Man Badminton Association while competition between the Police and the Fire Service teams is expected to be fierce.
All money raised from the event will be donated to the Diana Princess of Wales Care at Home Trust and the Isle of Man Badminton Association.
The relay around the TT course starts at the TT Grandstand, with the first group due to get away at 8am. Registration for the family fun cycle is at 9am with a scheduled start of 9.30am from the Sea Terminal.
There are still places available in both events and anyone interested in taking part should contact Kim Makin at Shoprite on 683333 or via email. Entry forms are also available in all Shoprite’s stores on the Island.
Event organiser Mike O’Hare said, “This really is an event for everyone, both young and old, and for both people looking for serious competition and the fun wheelers who just fancy a day out raising money for good causes. It’s also a great chance to ride the iconic TT mountain course in a competitive cycling event.”
