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Kill ‘em Kenny Smashes Race the Sun Record
The start of the Race the Sun two weeks ago - full photo collection here
A record-breaking
18 teams lined up on Peel Promenade at sunrise on Saturday for the 3rd
annual Race the Sun, sponsored by MannMade Group. The challenge dreamt up by
The Children’s Centre, sees teams attempt to complete a lap of the island’s 100
mile Raad ny Folillan coastal path between the hours of sunrise and sunset.
After
leaving Peel, competitors headed north to the Cronk and to the first of 10
transition points. Tom Cringle, running for Kill ‘em Kenny, a team of ringers
captained by The Children’s Centre’s Chief Executive John Knight, set off at
blistering pace, managing to pull out a lead of more than 6 minutes over second-placed
runner Phil Caine running for Fairbairn Private Bank. In a seamless transition,
John Knight took the baton from Tom and had to run the race of his life to retain
the lead over Fairbairn. By the Point of
Ayre, it was SMP Partners Star Man, Ed Gumbley, who was first to arrive now some
13 minutes ahead of second- positioned Search & Select. At Maughold, the
third transition, Nigel Armstrong running for Kill ‘em Kenny, had reduced the
gap between 1st and 2nd place, with SMP managing to hold
on to the lead by 3 minutes. With Ben Scott running for SMP and Mike Garrett running
for Kill ‘em Kenny, the race for first position was on. No one would have predicted that after 40
miles of racing, these two teams would be neck and neck at Laxey - any athletic
advantage Ben might have had was lost by not knowing the route.
By the time
they had reached Douglas, the half way point, Andy Watson, running for Kill ‘em Kenny, had opened up a 25 minute lead over SMP with
PDMS a further 25 minutes behind in third. Over the next few legs, Kill ‘em
Kenny continued to extend their lead with PDMS managing to move up into second .
By Bradda Head, it was clear that PDMS were not going to settle for third Jackie
Lee and Lloyd Taggart set the fastest times on legs 8 and 9, leaving them with
a comfortable 38 minute lead over third place SMP at the start of the final leg
to Peel.
So at the
end of the gruelling 100 mile race the results were.
The Children’s
Centre would like to congratulate all the competitors and to thank everyone who
made the race possible. For more
information about this and other events they are organising throughout the
summer, please visit www.thechildrenscentre.org.im
The sun was almost down by the time the final teams finished
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