Entries are as healthy as ever for the Manx Telecom Parish Walk with total numbers well in excess of 1,500.

Between 1,350 and 1,400 are likely to make the start at 8am on Saturday in the middle of the National Sports Centre.

It’s commonplace that around 10 percent will no-show on the day, but a decent forecast may well keep the numbers higher this year.

The tried and tested formula that has proved so successful and popular over the past couple of decades is largely unchanged for this year.

A number of the leading walkers on the road could well be relatively new names. 2017 was to some extent a case of out with the old, in with the new when Liam Parker became the youngest winner for nigh on a quarter of a century.

The Ramsey man is back this weekend and could well make it two wins in a row, but admits that his training has been disrupted by illness in recent weeks.

Four-time winner Richard Gerrard still has some back problems, but hopefully he will be fit and up for the challenge this time.

One of his biggest threats could well come from Karen Chiarello, runner-up to Parker last year and more than capable of becoming the first woman to win the event in its near-60-year modern history.

But it will be interesting to see if the resident American will keep something in the tank for the 100-mile event at the NSC in a couple of months time as an all-out attempt at the Parish may jeopardise an even bigger prize then.

Regular top-10 finishers, Dave Walker and Robbie Callister, are unlikely to be going full gas. Walker will be downfield accompanying a friend, while Callister is nursing a collarbone injury.

The likely favourite outside of the above-named five has to be the diminutive David Mapp who has the pace to win it outright in what would only be his third finish.

He had a good walk to win the annual Firefighters Walk in April, over the 30-mile northern part of the course, but will he be able to sustain that speed over a distance more than double that, including the likes of the dreaded Sloc and Ballajora climbs?

I think he will be thereabouts, so it could, on paper, be a bit of a classic contest at the sharp end.

Add into the equation the likes of Adam Killip, Michael Bonney, Karen Lawrie (who had a wonderful walk last year), James Quirk and Pete Miller and the scene is set for a real cracker.

Road users are reminded to be aware of walkers throughout the 85-mile route, but in particular through the hours of darkness in the northern sections round Lezayre (where road diversions will be in place), Maughold and Lonan. John Watterson