Port Erin Promenade will be a vibrant mass of colour and excitement on Friday evening, as the 59th Isle of Man Easter Festival of Running gets underway.

Supported by IQEQ and the Department for Enterprise, the three-day Festival has once again attracted a huge entry with many being from visiting university clubs.

By the close of pre-entries a total of 577 had been received (349 men and 228 women), which is up on last year’s figure. Entries will also be available on the days of all three races.

Locals can collect their race numbers from Manx Harriers clubhouse at the NSC this evening (Thursday) between 5.15pm and 7pm. There are no race entries available that evening.

Those who do not collect their numbers on Thursday should attend Rushen United FC clubhouse in Port Erin between 4.15pm and 6.15pm on Friday – earlier the better.

Entries may also be made between these times for those who have not pre-entered, along with team declarations. Those involved are asked to park in the upper part of Port Erin as a road closure will be in place on the promenade from late afternoon. The biggest number of finishers to date for the 10km was 468 in 2018, so that may well be challenged tomorrow evening.

There is a slightly revised route for the Quine & Cubbon 10km road race which begins proceedings on Port Erin Promenade at 6.45pm on Friday. Men and women start together.

The demolition works at the former Marine Biological Station site has meant the loss of the loop round the far end of the promenade at the start of the race, with the distance being made up with an extra loop in Port St Mary. This has arguably made the course slightly faster and more flowing.

On Saturday afternoon the Full Factory Winnerswear Peel Hill Races take place, starting and finishing outside the House of Manannan on the quayside.

The men’s race goes at 2.15pm, with the women following at 3.15pm on a slightly shorter course. Late entries are available from 1pm in the House of Manannan until 30 minutes before the start of the races.

The conclusion of racing on Sunday morning sees the Outback 5km road races take place on Douglas Promenade walkway, starting near the Sea Terminal. The women go first at 10.30am, followed by the men at 11.15am. Late entries are available from 9.30am in the Sea Terminal until 30 minutes before the start of the races.

The Festival concludes with the prize presentation and party on Sunday evening at the Outback in Douglas. This is ticket-only, and tickets have long since sold out.

Local interest is likely to centre on Rachael Franklin of Manx Harriers, who is already the most successful local athlete in the history of the Festival. She has secured the overall women’s title on three separate occasions in 2014, 2018 and 2019, winning a total of nine races.

Franklin starts as favourite to win a fourth title after showing fine recent form following an injury lay-off. She will not have it all her own way though, as Sarah Chapman (Birmingham University) is an outstanding 5m runner and has enjoyed three excellent years racing in USA. Katie Lowery (Leeds Uni) shone last year and should go well again.

The battle for honours in the men’s Festival looks to be very competitive, with the strongest challengers likely to be last year’s champion Scott Stirling (Hunters Bog Trotters) and Linton Taylor (Leeds Uni). Both have run sub 30 minutes for 10km and sub 14 minutes for 5km. Matt Knowles (Edinburgh Uni) is an outstanding under-20 athlete, and Felix McGrath (Keele Uni) is a former Peel Hill race winner and has run close to 30 minutes for 10km.

Perhaps challenging these athletes will be new Western AC member Corrin Leeming if he contests all three races. He ran a superb half-marathon in Liverpool recently and is a very strong athlete who surprised many of the visitors with his 10km performance in last year’s Festival.

All the information needed for the Isle of Man Easter Festival of Running weekend is in the competitor race packs, which are available to view on the official event website www.easterfestival.info

David Griffiths