The driving force behind the Parish Walk is this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

Raymond Cox was presented the award, which was kept secret until the evening of the Isle of Man Newspapers Awards For Excellence on Thursday.

The recently retired vet was praised for his commitment and dedication in many pursuits, but it was his ’unstinting work’ with the Parish Walk that won him the award, Isle of Man Newspapers’ deputy chairman Trudi Williamson said.

Following a video of his family, former colleagues and friends who talked about his efforts and congratulated him, the award was brought out on stage by his son Patrick.

Mr Cox joins a list of worthy recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Previous winners include last year’s winner, historian Charles Guard, designers behind brand Preen Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, war veteran Hector Duff, and Manx-born pop group Bee Gees among others.

He said: ’I’m genuinely shocked, but I’m absolutely touched.’

Mr Cox moved to the Isle of Man in 1986 from Northern Ireland on a six-month contract. He decided to stay for life and built up a successful veterinary practice - Milan Veterinary Practice.

Joining the Manx Harriers as a keen runner, he went on to represent the nation at the Island Games in 1991 in Aland and in the Isle of Wight in 1993 where he won a team medal. He is recorded as being the third fastest steeplechaser representing the Isle of Man of all time.

The father-of-four has passed on his love of sport to his children, all of whom are involved in competitive sports.

This year they took part in the Parish Walk, an endurance event which sees hundreds of participants take on the 85-mile route to all 17 island parishes.

Mr Cox’s interest in the event began in 1994 when there were ’just about 230 entries’, he said. He entered the race to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, finishing the route in his first go.

Mrs Williamson said: ’He’s credited for developing the Parish Walk into the amazing event it is today, with over 1,500 walkers, gaining worldwide coverage for the island, sponsorship and - through all of the entrants - raising hundreds of thousands for charity. It’s been said that the growth of the Parish Walk couldn’t have happened without his dedication, passion, energy and tenacity.’

Mr Cox said: ’When I took part in 1994 I went: "What a tremendous event!" and what I discovered was that it is a truly Manx event. The people of the Isle of Man knew about the Parish Walk and I went from being just a veterinary surgeon - which is okay - but once I finished the Parish Walk in 1994 I gained a status amongst my clients. They’d say: "Oh, I see you finished".

’So I was so surprised! I was still the same guy, but because I’d finished the Parish Walk I now was somebody.’

He was offered the opportunity to do something further with the event, which has grown strength-to-strength.

’The same group of people are together since 1995 which is quite remarkable,’ he said. ’Nobody gets paid and everybody donates huge amounts of time, huge amounts of their own money to actually do it. We just love it and we’ve gained a few extra people over the last couple of years.’

He calls the Parish Walk ’a great experience’, adding: ’You chat to people and make new friends along the way,’ he said. ’We don’t have headphones, so there’s no "in your own little bubble" for safety reasons.

’You talk to your neighbour and people have finished the Parish Walk with people that they never met before Parish Walk day yet they’ve become lifelong friends.

’Then the next year they walk together and are now in a training group and that’s wonderful. That’s part of why we’re all doing it because it brings out the best in people. It brings out the best in the Isle of Man.’

He added: ’I like to contribute and I do regard the island as my home and when we fly into Ronaldsway my kids for years have said: "We’re home" and when your kids say that - it is home.’