The Children’s Centre’s Race The Sun round the Island relay running race was another huge success according to organisers. The event, sponsored by Mann Made Group for the sixth successive year, took place on Saturday [May 23] with 29 teams setting off from Peel to run a clockwise lap of the Island’s Raad ny Foillan coastal footpath between sunrise and sunset.
Each Race The Sun team can have up to 10 runners, and the average distance for each leg is around 10 miles long. The winners are the first team to complete the 100-mile route which this year included the newly opened Langness section.
A team from SMP Partners Limited won in a time of 12hrs 12min 23secs, with last year’s winners Wi Manx in second place in 12hrs 24mins 49secs, and Kuta Misfits in third clocking 14hrs 36mins 03secs. A team called KUTA Stars won the ‘Golden Shoe’ prize for raising the most money in sponsorship, and Sun Setters got the prize for finishing closest to sunset. Mann Made Group, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, donated a special prize this year for relay runners wearing fancy dress on the 10th and final leg from Niarbyl to Peel. Paul Elliot from the Derivco was chosen as the winner for his Thor costume and won vouchers to spend in the Up & Running store in Douglas.
Mark Eastham, Fundraising Co-ordinator for The Children’s Centre, said this year’s event would raise around ?12,000 when all sponsorship funds were collected. He added:
“Race The Sun gets better each year and once again the enthusiasm of all the teams that took part made it a great day. We must thank Mann Made Group for their continued support which is greatly appreciated, Up & Running for donating prizes, and to Manx Timing Solutions for providing the results service. Since it began in 2008 Race The Sun has raised around ?100,000 for The Children’s Centre’s many charitable projects and become one of our most important annual fundraising events.”
Full results from this year’s race can be found at www.manxtimingsolutions.com
Race The Sun is just one of a wide range of adventure events which The Children’s Centre organises each year to raise funds. Details of upcoming events can be found at www.thechildrenscentre.org.im
