Harrison packs a punch in Spirit of Axnfell race

In a change to long-standing tradition, the 2026/27 Callin Wild Manx Fell Running League kicked off on Sunday with the challenging Spirit of Axnfell race.

Introduced in 2024 as a variation of the original Axnfell race, this slightly shorter 31-kilometre version incorporates an additional climbing and starts and finishes at the Bungalow.

Race day conditions were near perfect and, despite a few last-minute withdrawals, a healthy field of 42 runners set off on the descent toward Snaefell Mines.

They then tackled the long climb of Clagh Ouyr before looping back to the Bungalow and returning via the Creg, Colden, Carraghan, Beinn y Phott and finally the leg and lung-busting final climb of Snaefell from the Millenium Bridge.

Under-23 athlete Oliver Harrison was the youngest runner in the race and was making his fell race debut, having recently recorded a noteworthy third-place finish in the recent Summer Hill League.

Harrison was a boxer until February but broke his thumb during a bout and decided to take up running instead.

Full of the exuberance of youth, he immediately took the early lead over visiting runner Seth Aycock to establish a gap of around four minutes on returning through the Snaefell Mines checkpoint.

His lead gradually extended through the race and, despite suffering on the steep climbs of Carraghan and Snaefell, he held it together to claim a remarkable maiden race victory by over 30 minutes.

Laxey’s Shaun Hubbard (vet-60) rejuvenated the original Axnfell race back in 2018 and his second place was his best finishing position to date.

Domenico Galante, who spends most of his time off island now, returned to claim a very respectable third place, only seven minutes behind Hubbard.

Jessica Blackley was the clear winner of the women's race, following up on her Summer Hill League win with seventh position overall.

Caroline Caren ran solidly to take second (11th overall, first female vet 50), while Rosie Ormsby had an excellent run to round off the top three only a few minutes behind. Janette Gledhill produced a typically strong race and was the leading vet 60.

As a testament to the difficulty of the race, exactly half the field retired, although for some this would have been planned with the advertised option to stop at the Bungalow rather than continue on the remainder of the course.

Organisers wish to thanks plenty of people for helping make this event happen. Firstly to all the marshals who often had to spend several hours out on the course or collecting retired runners, the course markers and all the behind the scenes helpers who make the race possible.

Thanks also go to the landowners for granting access over their land and of course the Victory Café who kindly allow the use of the Cake Hole for race control, enabling the runners and timekeepers to keep warm and dry.

- The race will return in 2028 but for now runners can look forward to the Grand Tour of North Barrule which takes place on Saturday, September 26 and is a somewhat easier race.

NIGEL MADDOCKS