The Microgaming Isle of Man Marathon and Half Marathon kicked off on Sunday 13 August, with a total of 400 runners crossing the finish line.
The event was organised by the Isle of Man Veteran Athletes’ Club, and took place in the North of the island challenging runners under the hot conditions on the picturesque course, which began at Mooragh Promenade in Ramsey and finished at Ballacloan Stadium.
The marathon course which has been rated as one of the Top 10 running events in the UK attracted runners from across the globe this year, including participants from India and Canada.
One of the highlights at this year’s event was PC Darran Loader, who accomplished the 26.2-mile event to complete his eighth marathon-distance run in eight days in aid of charity.
Former pro cyclist Christian Varley took first place in the men’s marathon with a time of 2:43:58, whilst the women’s marathon was won by Sophie Cullen of St Theresa’s Athletic Club, who finished the course in 3:39:33. The half marathon event was won by Jack Okell of Manx Harriers (1:16:07) and Sarah Louise Cumber of Halifax Harriers AC (1:25:18).
New to the event this year was the 4 leg marathon relay which was won by KUTA Fitness, a team consisting of Andrew Nash, Rob Brockbanks, Ryan Downey and Roger Davies, finishing with a time of 2:53:34.
Terry Bates, Chairman of the Isle of Man Veteran Athletes’ Club, comments: “It’s been another successful year for the event, which has been made possible by the dedication and hard work of a small band of people who work throughout the year to bring it all together on the day. As a club we are grateful for all the support given to us by Microgaming and their team.”
Sponsored by Microgaming, the event was also supported by a team of PlayItForward staff volunteers who assisted with the set-up, awarded medals and gave out goody bags to runners at the finish line.
Jeriel Bacani, Microgaming PlayItForward Staff Volunteer comments: "It was a privilege to be part of such a fantastic event and even more rewarding to be able to assist the runners and be at the heart of the celebrations as they crossed the finish line. The event organisers did a great job and volunteering alongside my Microgaming family made my first experience as a staff volunteer even more special."
The Microgaming Isle of Man Marathon and Half Marathon kick started this year’s ‘No Rest for the Wicked’ series which consists of six different races in six days on the island.
Photo - Microgaming Marathon top three finishers - Winner Christian Varley (centre), Tim Alexander (right, runner up) and Mike Garrett (left).
