Six runners took part in a 100 mile race along the Island’s coastal path as part of a fundraising event for The Children’s Centre. The Isle of Man Coastal Ultra run is a brand new event held for the first time this year. The challenge was to complete a lap of the coastal path – including Langness and Peel Castle – over two days with the competitors running between sunrise and sunset. Endurance enthusiasts of all abilities took part in the run in May and raised a total of ?2,578.92 which will go to The Children’s Centre’s charitable projects.
Four individuals – Paul Kinnin, Julia Keifer, Jemima Corlett, Rob Sellors – started the individual race. Three finished, but Paul Kinnin had to stop on day one due to injury. Paul Thomas and Rosy Craine competed as a relay team with Rosy running 50 miles on day one, and Paul 50 miles on day two. Rob Sellors was first to finish the full 100 mile lap with a time of 17h 9m 58s.
Jemima Corlett says the event is ideal for runners wanting to take part in an ultra distance event for the first time. She trained with her friend Julia Keifer, and both are experienced distance runners. However, before the Coastal Ultra the longest distance they had completed in one day was 28 miles. Jemima said: “When I read about the Coastal Ultra I contacted The Children’s Centre and they were very friendly and encouraging. The distance was a bit intimidating at first, but because this is a charity event it felt like there wasn’t as much pressure. It’s a very friendly race to take part in – but you still have to put the training in. For anyone thinking of attempting an ultra distance event for the first time the Coastal Ultra is definitely one I would recommend. And the fact that it’s run along trails with beautiful scenery means that it’s much more fun than running on the road.”
For anyone thinking of taking part in the event next year, Jemima recommends building up training mileage gradually and trying to set aside at least one weekend to do a long run on both days. She added that the support and encouragement provided by The Children’s Centre in the build-up to the event, and during the race, was a big help to all the runners. In particular, she was grateful for support from Fundraising Co-ordinator Mark Eastham and Endurance Events Fundraiser Lisa Motley. “I don’t think I could have completed the race if Mark and Lisa hadn’t been there to give so much encouragement,” said Jemima.
Mark Eastham commented: “Thank you to all the runners for taking part and for making this inaugural event such a success. We must also thank everyone who sponsored them for contributing to such a magnificent fundraising total. Rob Sellors and Ben Scott tested out the course last year to see it was possible to complete it in two days – and we’re very grateful for their effort last year, and to Rob for competing in the race too. When we devised this challenge we really had no idea if it could be done or how long it would take, so their support was vital for the staging of this event. We’re going to stage the event again in May next year and would love to hear from any individuals or teams who want to take part. You can either enter as an individual attempting the 50 miles on each day, or as a team of two with each runner completing one of the 50 mile legs. Competitors have between the hours of sunrise to sunset to complete each 50 mile leg and can either walk, jog, or run. Although this is a very challenging event it also attracted some runners who had never attempted an ‘ultra’ distance run before, and we are hoping to hear from more runners of all abilities who are looking to take on this unique challenge next year.”
Email markeastham@thechildrenscentre.org.im if you’re interested in taking part in the 2015 Isle of Man Coastal Ultra.
Photo - Isle of Man Coastal Ultra runners Julia Keifer, left, and Jemima Corlett pictured at Bradda Head.
