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NEW: EVERY TIME FOR THE MILLENNIUM WAY RELAY 1999 to 2009

THE MILLENNIUM WHICH WAY RELAY

The Millennium Way is signposted through the bottom part of Silverdale Glen via this stile.

But many competitors ignored the signs and stile and took the lower path.

And some even avoided the climb from the car park.

Photos from video ML. Competitors deliberately not identified.

It was uphill all the way for organisers, competitors and officials on Sunday when the Mountain Road was closed due to snow and the M & P Legal Millennium Way Relay, organised jointly by Manx Harriers and Manx Fell Runners, was reduced from four legs to two. The photo is near the start as the runners climb out of Crosby before the rain came down! My photos were restricted as the rain made it impossible to use both still and video cameras but thanks to Brian Osbourne for holding the umbrella! Murray

murray’s photos

 

Video of the M & P Legal Millennium Way Relay 2009

M&P Legal Millennium Way Relay websites by Paul Jackson and Tom Cringle

Millennium Way Relay on the forum

 

EVERY TIME FOR THE MILLENNIUM WAY RELAY 1999 to 2008

Fastest 12 times on the first leg of the M & P Legal Millennium Way Relay

Year

Runner

Time

1985

Keith Callister

51.03

1992

Andy Fox

51.26

1985

Chris Quine

51.44

2008

Kevin Loundes

52.06

1996

Andy Fox

52.12

1991

Andy Fox

52.45

1989

Graham Clarke

53.52

1992

Allan Gage

53.55

1999

Andy Fox

53.59

1985

Andy Fox

54.09

2005

Simon Skillicorn

54.14

2000

Andy Fox

54.33

Record holder Keith Callister in the 2003 Supercards St Johns Fell Race (ML)

Fastest 12 times on the second leg of the M & P Legal Millennium Way Relay

Year

Runner

Time

1986

Allan Gage

33.00

2008

Darren Gray

34.00

1985

Steve Brennan

34.07

1988

Mick Hannay

34.59

1986

Steve Brennan

35.14

1985

Ian Callister

35.21

1985

Dave Ronan

35.41

1992

Alan Postlethewaite

35.41

1989

Murray Lambden

35.50

1992

Rob Webb

35.51

1984

Gary Wilson

35.57

1991

Murray Lambden

35.57

1996

Phil Cain

35.57

Record holder Allan Gage pictured after winning the 1990 Western 10 (Newspaper)

Fastest 12 times on the third leg of the M & P Legal Millennium Way Relay

Year

Runner

Time

2005

Keith Gerrard

21.07

1989

Gianni Epifani

22.23

1992

Chris Quine

22.47

2002

Keith Gerrard

22.49

2003

Keith Gerrard

22.52

1991

Peter Kennaugh

23.38

1985

Mark Cringle

23.43

1994

Gianni Epifani

23.53

1981

Paul Clarke

24.12

1991

Ian Watson

24.16

1985

Daniel Hall

24.24

1987

Gianni Epifani

24.28

Record holder Keith Gerrard looks nervous before commencing his record breaking run in 2005 (ML)

Fastest 12 times on the fourth leg of the M & P Legal Millennium Way Relay

Year

Runner

Time

1985

Graham Clarke

30.48

1996

Graham Clarke

31.22

1981

Dave Lockley

31.36

1996

Gianni Epifani

31.48

1981

Steve Kelly

32.01

1989

Chris Quine

32.20

1984

Graham Clarke

32.24

1992

Paul Clarke

32.38

1983

Steve Kelly

32.46

2000

Chris Quine

32.52

1993

Gianni Epifani

32.53

2005

John Halligan

32.53

 

Record holder Graham Clarke – a 12 second clip of him running the second fastest time in 1996 (ML)

 

Millennium Way Relay film from 2008

 

Millennium Way Relay film from 2007 (back with new soundtrack) Isl

Millennium Way Relay archive film from 2000

 

Millennium Way Relay archive film from 1999

 

Millennium Way Relay archive film – 1997 part 1, including a short interview with John Crellin who sadly lost his life this year.

 

Millennium Way Relay archive film – 1997 part 2

 

Millennium Way Relay archive film – 1997 part 3 (remixed and new soundtrack)

 

Millennium Way Relay archive film from 1996 (back with new soundtrack)

The following feature was published five weeks before the event

M&P Legal Millennium Way Relay websites by Paul Jackson and Tom Cringle

The M & P Legal Millennium Way Relay is planned for Sunday 27 December. First held in 1979 (the Millennium of Tynwald – the Isle of Man’s parliament) it has been sponsored by M & P Legal (formerly Mann & Partners) since 1997. Organised by Boundary Harriers, Manx Harriers and more recently jointly by Manx Harriers and Manx Fell Runners, it needs an early commitment from marshals as well as runners and cyclists for it to go ahead.  Here is a cross section of photos since 2002 to show what will be missed if helpers cannot be found. To help for anything from five minutes to five hours in five weeks time, go to www.manxfellrunners.org

The late Stuart Slack was one of the driving forces behind the start of the Millennium Way Relay. It was intended to be a bit of fun over the festive season to see if a team of runners could beat a cyclist over the new north to south route which was based upon an historical path. From 2002 we see Marie Noon, who has been in the lead in an Olympic road race during her illustrious international cycling career, as well as winning the 2001 Island Games Half Marathon, start the climb out of Crosby at which point the runners have just started the third leg. (photo Murray Lambden)

Tony Varley competed in the very first event in 1979 and every year since. He was one of the principal organisers during the early years and has excelled on his bike and on all legs of the course. His best years usually involved running the first leg from Sky Hill to the Brandywell Road, as it is well suited to the former Manx fell running champion who also made the 1995 Island Games team as a cyclist. This 2003 photo was taken near to the end of third leg at St Marks in awful weather conditions. (photo John Maddrell, Isle of Man Newspapers)

Most people associate the course with the open mountain, hilly roads and muddy paths but the event finishes in Castletown Square next to the Castle. So the final few hundred yards has a nautical association and Stan Sille is seen running past a fishing boat in 2004. When the event was first held Castletown Brewery was still producing its fine Castle ales on the other side of the road. The traditional of sampling the Manx beer in a number of pubs during a coach trip later in the evening continues to this day. (photo Eammon Harkin)

The weather has varied greatly at Christmas time over the past 30 years, with snow, rain, hail and frozen mountains alternating with sunshine and spectacular views. It was the shortage of water in the Manx drought of 1975 (a year earlier than the severe drought in the UK) that encouraged the Isle of Man Water Authority to build the Sulby Reservoir. This fine photograph of Allan Thomson in 2005 (it took a bit of research to identify him!) had a backdrop that would have been unavailable in the early years of the Millennium Way Relay because construction of the reservoir only began in June 1979 and the full water levels were first achieved in 1983. (photo by Martin Critchley)

The first road running section is reached part way through the second leg at St Luke’s Church. On one occasion of bad weather the first leg was extended to this point. The Isle of Man has an unique integration of its sports and this 2006 photograph is of Conor Cummins, the third fastest rider ever in the famous TT motor cycle races. He lapped the 37.73 mile course at 130.225 miles per hour earlier this year and this weekend came without a fraction of a second of winning the Macau Grand Prix. In the photo he has just past the land of retired farmer Kenyon Crowe who was a passive sponsor of Conor in his early years of racing. Conor has stayed close to the grass roots and recently spent a whole morning chatting to Kenyon (aged 87) when he called to see him at Saddle Mews.  (photo ML)

Steve Kelly (37) is one of the greats of Manx road running and was at his peak during the early years of the Millennium Way Relay. He was the first Manx runner ever to finish the London Marathon when he ran 2.27.24 in 1981. Amazingly, 28 and half years later nobody from the Isle of Man has run that event faster since. Best known now as one of the faces of Northern AC he still makes occasional appearances in local events and is one of the most sporting characters around, always finding time to encourage all the other athletes. In this 2007 Millennium Way Relay shot at the start of the Crosby climb he has just given such encouragement to Alan Gault, another man admired by all in the sport for the way he has returned to competition after serious illnesses. (photo ML)

For more than 20 years the event has been handicapped which means that the teams containing the slower runners start before the faster teams. This gives everyone an equal chance of winning and ensures that there remains a fun element – Lesley Christian certainly looked happy at the top of the Crosby Hill last year.  But it is the handicapping that also creates unreasonable demands for the organisers. A great deal of time is spent trying to ensure fairness but then teams request replacement runners because of illness and injury. This task is bad enough but if they are entering the Christmas holiday period without certainty about the number of marshals then their task becomes impossible. There will be an outcry if the 30 year old tradition of racing on or close to Boxing Day comes to an end. There will be shouts of joy if the uncertainty of whether the event can proceed this year is removed much earlier with volunteers confirming their support very early. (photo ML)

 

As a further promotion for the M & P Legal Millennium Way Relay, this picture of Gianni Epifani running through the flood at Poulson Park in 2003 is quite timely given the prevailing weather in some parts of the UK at the moment. Photo by John Maddrell of Isle of Man Newspapers.  

 

 

 

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