The ‘toughest 10km the island has ever seen’, the inaugural Tough Mann Adventure Race, takes place at the weekend
On Sunday Ballamoar Farm in Ballaugh will be home to the gruelling circuit, with hundreds set to pit themselves against the 20-obstacle ‘Dragon’s Head’ challenge.
It’ll be all hands on deck every day this week putting the final touches to the course, which will include scrambles through abandoned cars, hill climbs, hay bales, cargo nets and muddy bogs.
‘The worst of it is the climb at the start, non-stop for 2km, which is pretty horrendous,’ said co-organiser Richard Cryer. ‘But that’s the climbing done, it’s all down from there. The views at the top are unbelievable, you can see the whole island. It’s somewhere the public never get to see.’
The organisers were inspired after racing in a similar event in the Lake District last year. ‘It was superb,’ recalled Richard. ‘Super tough, but we were gutted when it was over. We thought the terrain in the island would be brilliant for it.’
This year is the test run, with a three to five year plan pencilled in. Thanks to public interest and help from the land owners and from Bushy’s, Manx Independent Carriers and 3FM, year one looks to be in good shape, and the event will also donate individuals’ sponsorship to Hospice. There were concerns that the ‘Tough Mann’ moniker may have left people assuming it was a male-only event, but they need not have worried, as the first 40 entries were all women, and the total entry is now about a 50/50 split.
There is parking on site and the ‘arena’ will have children’s entertainment, food vans, live music, and shower and toilet facilities. The course veers back towards the spectators at several points, so friends and family will see more than just the start and finish line. Runners will be set off in waves of 25-30, to avoid ‘bottlenecking’ at obstacles, with the first wave heading out at 1pm sharp.
‘The super fit will get around in about an hour and a quarter/hour and a half,’ predicted Rich. ‘Most will do it between two and two and a half hours.’
Upon crossing the line competitors will receive their victory Bushy’s beer and t-shirt, before the live-music festivities kick in. See www.facebook.com/ToughMannIOM for more.