The Isle of Man Easter Festival of Running has become an annual ritual for multiple universities and UK clubs, with many long-standing rivalries and friendships. The festival has four main parts – three of these involve running and the fourth is for unwinding after a hard weekend of racing.

2024 marked the 60^th Festival – two years later than scheduled. Organisers commented: "We warmly welcomed back all our friends for what was a memorable celebration of everything that is good about running."

The race action kicks off on Good Friday with the Port Erin 10K. The race starts by the harbour in Port Erin and heads up to the Promenade and then out of town before following the picturesque coastal footpath to Port St. Mary harbour and returning to Port Erin finishing near to the Lifeboat Station. After the race, there is usually live music and food available from multiple locations.

On Saturday afternoon, action moves to Peel, a fishing village on the west of the island, about 11 miles from Douglas. The race starts and finishes near the quayside at the House of Manannan. The men compete over a four mile course and the women over a three mile route. The races are held separately. With the exception of the first and last half mile the course is on grass.

There are two main climbs on the route for the men and one for the women with a number of short sharp climbs as well. The descent is less steep. Therefore, the climb suits the fell/hill runners but they have less of an edge over the road and track runners on the downhill.

Sunday morning concludes the running with a 5K road race on an out and back course along Douglas Promenade. The festival concludes with what for many is the highlight of the weekend, the prize giving and party on Sunday night at the Outback.

If you'd like to know more, visit the Isle of Man Easter Festival website.

Image: Isle of Man Easter Festival Facebook