The fourth edition of the Manx Fell Runners Wilderness Challenge took place recently, sponsored by Capital International, with 28 teams competing over the uplands.

The event is held every two years and sees pairs of runners navigating their own course to find checkpoints with varying scores throughout a two-and-a-half-hour window.

The team with the most points in the shortest time wins. Anyone late loses five points per minute.

Maps are handed to teams on the start line so quick thinking, decisive route choice and good navigation are needed.

This year the event started in the new car park near Brandywell Cottage - a closely guarded secret until the Wednesday before the event - to hype up expectation and remove the opportunity to have a pre-race nosey!

Organisers were up against the weather this year, with heavy rain forecast for later in the afternoon. The start time was nudged forward a touch and all teams were set off in minute intervals in time to start in the dry weather. Needless to say, they arrived back wet!

With free choice of route, it is difficult to give a good race recount, but once the punch slips were dry, their wrinkled remains showed which checkpoints had been visited by each team and a result list came into shape.

Andy Watson and Tom Williams claimed the overall win, with Nikki Arthur and Orran Smith taking the mixed team win, and Hazel Dawson and Rebecca Harding forwere the first women’s team.

Special mention to Ewan and Jim Reid for nudging into the top 10 as a dad/son team, Ewan being the youngest competitor in the field.

It’s a popular event and the challenge of running your own route is great fun. Thanks go to Capital International for the sponsorship, the landowners for the use of the uplands and to the hardy team at race control who got soaked despite having a tent!

Prizes will be presented at Manx Fell Runners’ AGM in November.

CHRIS KIRK