Stephen Caley won the Solo category of the Seven Kingdoms Isle of Man Adventure Race at the weekend completing the 40km journey through the Manx coastline and countryside in 3 hours and 50 minutes.

The team first place went to the pairing of Adam Fretwell & Kevin Whittaker who completed the course in 3 hours and 56 minutes.

The race now in its seventh year takes on a new route for each race with the course only being revealed to competitors the night before. Competitors receive a guide book and a map and have to use this to navigate their way around the unmarked course visiting a number of checkpoints along the way. This year's race started in St John's with a Mountain bike stage heading east to Archallagan plantation where competitors completed a short Mountain Bike Orienteering special stage before continuing on through South Barrule and Corlea plantations to Cringle Reservoir. At the reservoir a further special stage awaited in the form of crossing the reservoir by kayak to reach a checkpoint before returning to the bikes and the Eary Cushlin transition.

At the transition competition was tight with local competitor Tim Dedman leading the way by a good 10 minutes. Bikes were left behind as competitors then ran the Raad ny Foillan coastal footpath via Cronk Ny Aree Laa and Fleshwick to Bradda head. A wrong turn by Dedman led to Stephen Caley taking the lead at this point to be the first to reach Milner's tower and the final special stage which involved a rope descent from the top of the tower before the sprint to the finish on the sand outside the Bay Hotel on Port Erin beach.

Race organiser John Keggin said "It was an absolutely phenomenal day, thanks to everyone who helped make this possible including our team of marshals, various landowners and race sponsors the Mylchreests group".

Race director Keirron Tastagh explained that next year things will be a little different: "The Seven Kingdoms race has gone from strength to strength and this year was without doubt our most successful to date. We are now going to concentrate on developing the event further and hold it on every other year. In the alternate years we feel the time is right to now introduce the Isle of Man Orienteering Championship".

The Isle of Man Orienteering Championship will be a shorter race where competitors will be required to locate as many checkpoints within a certain time period.

Dates: 16th September 2017 - Isle of Man Orienteering Championship
15th September 2018 - Seven Kingdoms Isle of Man Adventure Race

Results:
Solos
1. Stephen Caley (IOM) 03:50:27, 2. Colin Faulds (UK) 03:53:13, 3. Mark Watterson (IOM) 03:58:37
Pairs
1. Chuckle Brothers (IOM) 03:56:05, 2. Calder Valley AR (UK) 04:03:26, 3. Team Tango (IOM) 04:23:53

Ends