Entries for the Easter Festival of Running are close to last year’s record.

Supported by a new headline sponsor, First Names Group, around 300 visiting runners will join a similar number of locals taking part in the 55th running of the festival.

Teams from as far afield as Folkestone and Aberdeen, with a smattering of entries from the USA, Holland, Germany and Ireland, will contest the three-day event which kicks off in Port Erin on Friday evening with the Bushy’s 10km road race.

This will take in Ballakillowey, Gansey and Port St Mary. Close to 500 runners are expected.

The action moves to Peel on Saturday afternoon for the hill races, supported by Full Factory Winnerswear, starting and finishing on the quayside. The men tackle a four-mile route starting at 2.15pm and the women run a slightly shorter route at 3.05pm.

The festival will conclude on Sunday with separate 5km races for men and women on Douglas Promenade. Both are sponsored by The Outback, the women set off at 10.30am and men at 11.15.

Both the male and female events look to be fairly open with no stand-out favourites. Defending women’s champion Amelia Petitt returns but has had injury problems.

The team events will be hotly contested with the universities likely to be to the fore, but local clubs are also well represented.

Vehicle drivers are asked to take special care in the south of the island on Friday evening.

l Full reports next week.