Celton Manx is to sponsor the Isle of Man Easter Festival of Running for the third consecutive year.
The 2015 festival, the 53rd, will begin on Good Friday April 3rd in Port Erin, move to Peel on April 4th and to Douglas promenade on Easter Sunday, April 5th.
Festival director Chris Quine said: ‘We’re delighted Celton Manx is to be our headline sponsor once again. To have their name and support associated with what has become a running event with a British Isles-wide following is of enormous value to us.
‘In recent years there’s been something of a reawakening of interest in the festival with the 2014 event attracting the highest number of competitors since the 1980s - 450 - and local entries up by some 100 per cent.
‘This is a festival in the truest sense of the word. Yes, it’s a competitive running event - whether you’re a novice or of Olympics standard – but it’s also a fantastic three-day social event, with many repeat visitors taking advantage of the festival not only to compete but also meet up with friends. And while there may be similar running festivals in England, none can compare in terms of the dramatic and varied scenery the Isle of Man has to offer as a backdrop to all the weekend’s activities.’
The format for 2015 will follow the same as that of recent years. On Good Friday April 3rd, a 10k road race will take place around the streets of Port Erin and Port St Mary starting at 6.45pm, then on Saturday April 4th the action moves to Peel with the hill races: the four-mile men’s event at 2.15pm, then the three-mile women’s at 3.05pm. On Sunday morning April 5th Douglas promenade takes centre stage with the 5k women’s road race at 10.15am followed by the men’s 4x5k road relay at 10.50am. The festival then comes to its customary high-octane close on the Sunday evening with the prize presentation and what is, for some, the highlight of the weekend, the famous beer races.
Celton Manx executive director Bill Mummery said: ‘At Celton Manx we aim to invest in community events that offer the broadest appeal to the greatest number of people. It is for this reason we are pleased to be sponsoring the Easter Festival of Running for the third successive year, an event open to all standards of athletes - a fact not entirely lost on us at Celton Manx as we shall be entering a team.
‘Importantly, the festival not only offers three days of great sporting challenges and social activities but also, with its growing popularity in the UK, especially among universities, promotes the Isle of Man to a wide and very appreciative audience.’
Chris Quine added: ‘Early indications for 2015 are looking promising and once again we’re expecting a strong representation from UK university teams, many of which return year after year because, for them, the festival is a highlight in their calendar, or as one competitor, George Bilsby from Manchester University, put it this year: “The festival is one of the best trips I've been on at university...it's great fun and a cracking experience.”’
Entry forms can be downloaded now from easterfestival.info. An online entry system will be available soon. Entries close Sunday March 21st 2015.
For more information contact easterfestival@manx.net.
