Thanks to generous sponsorship from Mann Made Group, The Children’s Centre’s iconic ‘Race the Sun’ relay is on again, but hurry - entries close on 6 May.

‘Race the Sun’ takes place on Saturday 21 May and will see teams of 10 running a clockwise lap of the Island’s Raad ny Foillan coastal footpath between sunrise and sunset, starting and finishing in Peel.

The event, sponsored by Mann Made Group since 2010, has raised more than ?80,000 to help children and young people here in the Isle of Man. Organisers are feeling confident the 2016 run will take the total funds raised by ‘Race the Sun’ to over ?100,000.

Money will go directly to supporting children and young people in the Isle of Man through the Children’s Centre Mobex project, which helps participants build confidence and life skills through adventure.

Mann Made Group, a leading Corporate and Trust service provider specialising in yacht & aeroplane solutions, international taxation and fund administration, continues to support the event. This year they have gone above and beyond by providing a high specification website to support the registration process.

Alan Hollingsworth, Principal and Managing Director of the Mann Made Group, commented:

“As we enter our eleventh year in business, our commitment to the charities in the regions in which we operate is as strong as ever. We’re proud of the growth we’ve achieved, celebrating our landmark 10th anniversary last year. We’re delighted to be able to share some of our success by supporting local causes that benefit our whole community. May will be a great month for us as we move into our new landmark offices in Douglas. Being part of ‘Race the Sun’ will be a great way to celebrate this and is an event I always look forward to taking part in personally.”

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. There’s a ‘Golden Shoe’ award for the team which raises the most funds, and the Up & Running store in Douglas has donated prizes for the fastest time set on each leg and for the team that finishes closest to sunset time. Teams can start any time from 5am onwards – but those aiming to win the closest finish to sunset prize will choose their start time carefully.

Mark Eastham, Fundraising Co-ordinator for The Children’s Centre, said:

“Mann Made Group’s support has enabled this event to grow year on year. We’re hugely grateful to them for helping us to be in sight of our ?100,000 target. That money will be turned into experiences for vulnerable children and young adults that will literally change lives. While ‘Race the Sun’ has become a competitive event in its own right, the emphasis is always on the participant having a great time. Registration is now open and the event has been a sell out for the past two years so we’re urging teams to visit the bespoke ‘Race the Sun’ website and register now.”

There’s still time to register your team - just go to www.racethesun.net , or contact Mark Eastham by emailing markeastham@thechildrenscentre.org.im or by calling 01624 631917.

Photo - 'Race the Sun' 2015: First leg runners on the start line in Peel at sun rise.  Courtesy of The Children's Centre.