manxathletics.com

Fixtures

Links

2005 Features

Pictures (see below)

Visitors since 28 April 2004

Top Manx sites

Recent features

Road running grand prix

Glen Mona Fell Race results

Manx Cross Country Champs 2002 to 2006

Dave Phillips road race series

Colin Watterson Oldies

Athlete of 2005

SYD QUIRK HALF MARATHON

RUN RESULTS

WALK RESULTS

300 metres from the start and Tony Okell (680) and Simon Skillicorn (674) are at the front. Although Paul Clarke made an attempt for victory and Kevin Loundes kept the pressure on Simon until the last mile, ultimately positions did not change much. Tony won for the fifth time in seven years (only 67 seconds between all of his times) and Simon beat his best time by 90 seconds. (Photo by Martin Critchley)

Tony Okell is likely to be ranked 15th best over 45 half marathon runner in the UK this year.

There have only been thirteen different winners in the 31 year history of the Syd Quirk Half Marathon:

Surname	Christian Name	Time	Year
Bagley	Alan	01:12:15	1988
Callister	Robbie	01:11:34	1991
Callister	Robbie	01:14:51	1993
Cannan	Bernard	01:15:37	1997
Clarke	Paul	01:13:35	1994
Clarke	Paul	01:14:29	1999
Curphey	Paul	01:15:28	1996
Curphey	Paul	01:16:20	1998
Fox	Andy	01:14:17	1995
Gage	Mark	01:13:06	1984
Gage	Allan	01:10:58	1990
Gage	Allan	01:12:36	1992
Gale	Ian	01:15:42	2003
Kelly	Steve	01:10:26	1977
Kelly	Steve	01:06:53	1978
Kelly	Steve	01:11:24	1979
Kelly	Steve	01:12:10	1980
Kelly	Steve	01:09:09	1981
Kelly	Steve	01:11:20	1982
Kelly	Steve	01:12:27	1983
Kelly	Steve	01:11:28	1985
Kelly	Steve	01:10:09	1986
Kelly	Steve	01:14:23	1987
Lambden	Murray	01:17:09	2004
Newton	Dave	01:17:13	1976
Okell	Tony	01:14:11	2000
Okell	Tony	01:14:33	2001
Okell	Tony	01:15:17	2002
Okell	Tony	01:15:05	2005
Okell	Tony	01:14:51	2006

Between them, Steve Kelly (10) and Tony Okell (five) have won almost half of the entire series. Robbie Callister, Paul Clarke, Paul Curphey and Allan Gage (two each) account for more than 25% of those listed. The 1989 result has never been located - does anyone have it? I think that Alan Bagley may have added to his 1988 win. I have researched at the Manx Museum but it was not published in any Manx newspaper.

Michael George (488) had taken part in the run for the past two years and Robbie Lambie (480) has run five times. They both made their debut in the walking event taking first and second places in the 3rd and 4th best times ever. (Paul Jackson)

Marie Jackson improved her best time by 1 minute 57 seconds when taking victory in the women's walk and thus became the second fastest walker ever on the course behind Carolyn Brown (Photo by Mr Jackson)

Kevin Loundes made a big break thorough in third place in his fourth half marathon (Picture by Paul Jackson)

A candidate for run of the day was Christian Varley - 1:18:53 on his longest ever run. (PJ)

Winner Gail Griffiths (centre) maintained her challenge for an Island Games place with victory in the half marathon in 1:33:10. Runner up Micky Swindale (left) improved her 2005 time by a massive 7 minutes and 59 seconds while Dawn Yates improved by 3 minutes for the second year in a row. Women's running is on the up. (Photo by Martin Critchley)

Gail's time was the 10th fastest ever by a female in the event.

Surname	Christian Name	Time	Year
Walker	Brenda	01:17:10	1992
Lockley	Margaret	01:20:38	1980
Rushton	Karen	01:23:19	1996
Oddie	Maureen	01:26:13	1986
Noon	Marie	01:26:42	2000
Gomer	Anne	01:30:10	1986
Quirk	Stephanie	01:30:51	1988
Corlett	Irene	01:31:53	1988
Mooney	Jane	01:32:49	1996
Griffiths	Gail	01:33:10	2006

Number of finishers per year:

Year	Run	Walk	Total
1976	18		18
1977	18		18
1978	13		13
1979	15		15
1980	17		17
1981	25		25
1982	26		26
1983	32		32
1984	39		39
1985	34		34
1986	38		38
1987	20		20
1988	30		30
1989	37		37
1990	44		44
1991	36		36
1992	22		22
1993	20		20
1994	20		20
1995	15		15
1996	38		38
1997	26		26
1998	25		25
1999	36		36
2000	47	24	71
2001	50	21	71
2002	49	22	71
2003	64	26	90
2004	70	40	110
2005	62	29	91
2006	65	38	103

The result of the first Syd Quirk Half Marathon in 1976 in which (now organiser) Mike Gellion had his first run and Dave Newton and Ian Callister, who still compete were 1st and 4th.

Position	Surname	Christian Name	Time
1	Newton	Dave	01:17:13
2	Harris	Donald	01:17:33
3	McElroy	Peter	01:22:17
4	Callister	Ian	01:25:27
5	Brooks	Peter	01:27:22
6	Dale	Tony	01:30:09
7	Wright	John	01:31:03
8	Boulton	Mike	01:33:04
9	Comaish	John	01:34:14
10	Jones	Gareth	01:36:35
10	Nelson	Eric	01:36:35
12	Gawne	Ken	01:36:51
13	Gellion	Mike	01:37:41
14	O'Hanlon	Joe	01:39:36
15	Baxter	Bob	01:39:55
16	Capelen	Dave	01:41:46
17	Doughty	Brian	01:59:03
18	Qualtrough	J	02:02:35

EARLIER FEATURES

Chris Quine compares the Syd Quirk Half Marathon in 1976 to 2006

	1976	2006
Number of finishers	18	65
Winning time	1 hour 17 mins 33 secs	1 hour 14 mins 51 secs
Time of final finisher	2 hours 2 mins 35 secs	2 hours 24 mins 25 secs
Time of middle position finisher	1 hour 36 mins 35 secs (10^th place)	1 hour 40 mins 30 secs (33^rd place)
Number of women	0	21
Number sub 80 minutes	2 (11.1 % of finishers)	8 (12.3 % of finishers)
Number sub 90 minutes	5 (27.7% of finishers)	18 (27.7% of finishers)
Number sub 100 mins	15 (83.3% of finishers)	30 (46.2% of finishers
Winners age	23	46

Comments:

- Winner in 2006 was twice the age of the 1976 winner. A reflection perhaps of the rise of veterans running and more runners maintaining a career beyond age 35-40.

- No women completed in 1976 – now account for 32% of finishers

- Consistent percentage of figures below 80 mins and 90 mins. Would be higher in 2006 if excluding women – 1976 was a male only event.

- Much higher percentage in 1976 between 90 and 100 mins – maybe fewer “fun runners” in 1976?

HALDANE FISHER SYD QUIRK HALF MARATHON FEATURE

A great shot by Paul Jackson during Sunday's Haldane Fisher Syd Quirk Half Marathon. Husband and wife Lynne and David Quine are together at this point but Lynne pushed on to set a personal best running more than half a minute a mile faster than her previous best time.

DATABASES OF SYD QUIRK HALF MARATHON FINISHERS UPDATED TO INCLUDE 2006 NB excludes 1989 result which has not yet been located other than Alan Pilling's time.

Syd Quirk Half Marathon database by fastest times

Syd Quirk Half Marathon database by year

Syd Quirk Half Marathon database by surname

Syd Quirk Half Marathon women

Syd Quirk Half Marathon walkers by fastest times

Syd Quirk Half Marathon walkers by year

Syd Quirk Half Marathon walkers by surname

Syd Quirk Half Marathon walkers women

Syd Quirk Half Marathon - every imaginable fact or figure (published in 2002)

manxathletics.com is an independent site designed, edited and funded by Murray Lambden.

The site was updated daily for three and a half years until June 2004 when the webeditor took a sabbatical. It now serves as a portal for Manx athletes with special features on a few events and ad hoc publishing when time permits without giving in to the addiction! Old features can be found by using the Google search below or by using the old features page. The clubs are encouraged to develop their own sites to promote their events. manxathletics.com will complement the coverage with statistics and extra pictures but, most of all, if will try and highlight the content of other sites and give everyone a chance to air their views on the forum.

manxharriers.com which is edited by Paul Jackson, is the highly recommended sister site of manxathletics.com

Policy & site history