AND LOTS OF OTHER FACTS RELATING TO THE 25 RACE HISTORY OF THE EVENT
ü Tony Okell won the run for the second year in a row. His time was 22 seconds slower than last year.
ü The winning time has only been slower on 4 occasions.
ü Of the 6 slowest winning times, 5 have come in the last six years.
ü Paul Curphey’s 1998 winning time of 76.20 was the slowest ever, followed by Bernard Cannan’s (75.37) time the year before that and Paul Curphey’s 1996 time (75.28).
ü Steve Kelly has 7 of the 8 fastest winning times.
ü Allan Gage has the 5th fastest winning time from 1990 (70.58).
ü Despite not winning, Murray Lambden (70.59) has the sixth fastest time from 1981.
ü Steve Kelly’s record (66.53) has stood since the second year of the event (1978).
ü 1978 was the only year the race was not held on the first Sunday in November – it was held in September on a different course.
ü Steve Kelly won the race 10 times.
ü Steve Kelly won the first 7 events.
ü Steve Kelly did not remember winning 10 times!
ü Tony Okell is unbeaten with wins in 2000 and 2001.
ü Allan Gage is also unbeaten with wins in 1990 and 1992.
ü Allan’s brother Mark, is also unbeaten. He won in 1984 (73.06).
ü Alan Bagley won in 1988 and 1989 but the 1989 result cannot be traced in full.
ü Sunday’s 2nd placer, Paul Clarke, first ran the event as long ago as 1981 but surprisingly has only run on 5 occasions.
ü None of the runners from 1977 competed the run this year, but Ian Callister, who ran in 1977 (and 10 times in total – the last in 1993) came back to walk in 2000 and 2001.
ü Brian Goldsmith ran five times until 1992 before coming back to the walking section in 2000.
ü Keith Callister ran the first event and is still active in Manx athletics.
ü Murray Lambden, who ran in 1979 has the biggest range of dates (1979 to 2001) although he did not compete between 1981 and 1996.
ü Allen Moore ran in 1979 – his brother Colin took part in the walk in 2001.
ü Ian Gale, in third place on Sunday, was one of the few runners to set a personal best smashing his performance from the Ramsey Half Marathon in August.
ü Organiser Mike Gellion competed seven times with a best of 79.29 in 1993.
ü For the first two years there used to be supporting races for juniors.
ü In 1977 the junior race was won by John Bartlett in 35.44 with Chris Quine second in 35.51.
ü In 1978 Chris Quine was second again in 47.18 behind David Griffiths in 45.48.
ü Andy Garrett was the 3rd junior in 1978 (48.43). He has only contested the Syd Quirk Half Marathon once in 1986 when he set a PB of 73.32.
ü Dave Ronan competed in the half marathon 4 times between 1980 and 1986 improving every time. His best was 73.56 on 1986 (by definition).
ü Nigel Sinclair had competed in 5 of the last 6 races but missed this year to run in the New York Marathon.
ü Manx Mountain Marathon Organisation secretary Richie Stevenson competed 3 times but not for 20 years.
ü Phil Cain competed in exactly the same years as Richie.
ü John, David and Kevin Tasker have all competed.
ü Comeback walker Graham Young recorded a sub 80 minute time in 1977, his only year of competition.
ü Brenda Walker only completed once in 1992 – she ran 3 minutes 28 seconds fastest than any other woman.
ü Second fastest woman is Margaret Lockley in 1980. Her time of 80.38 was 27 minutes faster than the then record set by Barbara McDermott.
ü Margaret Lockley’s time was almost three minutes faster than the third fastest woman, Karen Rushton (83.19 in 1986).
ü Karen’s time was in turn nearly three minutes faster than Maureen Oddie’s 1986 time of 86.13.
ü Next best woman in is Marie Noon, the 2001 Island Games Champion in 86.13 some 9 minutes slower than Brenda Walker.
ü Robbie Corkish (71.50) is the fastest to finish in 3rd place in 1990, by far the best year in depth.
ü Ray Cox (71.52) is the fastest in finish in 4th – also 1990.
ü Peter Costley (72.17) is the fastest in finish in 5th – also 1990.
ü Alan Bagley (73.28) is the fastest in finish in 6th – also 1990.
ü Danny Finn (75.18) is the fastest in finish in 7th – also 1990.
ü Stewart Sayle (76.02) is the fastest in finish in 8th – also 1990.
ü Colin Halsall (76.28) is the fastest in finish in 9th – also 1990.
ü John Leece (78.50) is the fastest in finish in 10th – also 1990.
ü Robbie Callister (who marshalled on Sunday) ran the race 5 times winning in 1991 and 1993.
ü Robbie Callister has never finished lower than 2nd. His slowest time was 76.13 last year.
ü The second fastest Manx born or bred athlete, Graham Clarke, has never competed in the Syd Quirk.
ü 1978 Commonwealth Games runner ran the first races finishing 2nd every year until 1981 when he was pushed down to 3rd. His average time was surprisingly only 75.32 given that in other races he was the only person capable of beating Steve Kelly and in Cross Country he did so.
ü Alan Pilling has competed in the last 20 events.
ü Alan Pilling’s best 1o times vary by only 1 minute 42 seconds.
ü Ace walker Steve Partington competed in 1984 recording 80.35.
ü President of Tynwald, Noel Cringle, competed in 1979 (97.15).
ü In 1986, Noel Cringle, lost his seat in Rushen in John Orme (he regained it in 1991). It wasn’t down to his Syd Quirk time that John Orme won his seat – he ran in 1984 (107.14).
ü The event was initially organised by Southern AC but was later taken over by IOM vets.
ü The event used to start at 1.30 on a Sunday afternoon.
ü Before the introduction of Allan & Gladys’s wonderful buffet, runners used to make do with a cup of tea and biscuits in the Scout Hall.
ü Mike Garrett, who works for sponsors Douglas Steam Saw Mill, has not competed in the event despite the announcement to that effect at the presentation. He intended to in 1996 but injury prevented him from doing so.
ü Andy Fox only ran twice. His time only improved by 1.27 in 1995 but he improved from 3rd to 1st.
ü Robbie Lambie ran 4 times. His first 3 only varied by 9 seconds! (77.10 – 77.19).
ü Alan Poslethwaite has run 7 times. His best of 78.23 was in 1991but his next three best times (79.42 – 79.46) were virtually identical.
ü Doug Allan’s winning walk time on Sunday as just 51 seconds slower than last year.
ü Marie Latham in second place meanwhile improved by 3 minutes and 7 seconds. This was itself an improvement of more than 11 minutes on the previous year.
ü Chris Quine has never competed in the full race.
ü Peter Kaneen has never competed the event.
ü Dave Lockley pushed Steve Kelly hard in 1981 when Steve set the second fastest time but retired at Cross Four Ways after being passed when an injury troubled him. That was the only year he started.
ü 1988 Parish Walk winner competed once in 1991 recording 81.44.
ü Triple Parish Walk winner Willie Corkill competed in 1985 (95.18).
ü Liz Corran won the women’s prize on Sunday in 104.14.
ü Liz’s husband Gordon walked in 1999 and 2000.
ü Wendy Ross was just 20 seconds behind Liz. Last year she was 5th in the walking section.
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