Strictly Parish - training tips for the Manx Telecom Parish Walk

Waltz through the walk with advice at Strictly Parish event

If you’re training for this year’s Manx Telecom Parish Walk there will be lots of great advice on offer at the ‘Strictly Parish’ event being organised by the title sponsors. Experienced and novice walkers will be there to give tips on how to train, and on how to reach your goals on the day itself. The Strictly Parish event takes place at Keyll Darree Education and Training Centre near to Noble’s Hospital on February 25 – doors open at 5pm for a 6pm start.

Amended panel

Raymond Cox - Race  Director

Kevin Walmsley - Course Director

Bridget Kaneen - Judging

Elizabeth Corran - Race Secretary 

Michael George - Winner of the 2013 Manx Telecom Parish Walk

Dale Farquhar - First Time Finisher / Nutritionist / Diabetic

Tracey Cooke - Novice Walker

Allan Callow -  Race Walking Coach

The evening will also feature tips for support crews on how to help friends or family members to reach their goals.

David Smith, Manx Telecom Marketing Director, said:

“We want to encourage as many people as possible to experience the community spirit and excitement which the Manx Telecom Parish Walk generates each year. The idea behind the Strictly Parish event is to offer some advice and encouragement to walkers of all levels, but particularly those who just want to get to Santon, Rushen or Peel. Achieving those goals are worthy achievements, especially for anyone who has never attempted to walk those sort of distances before. Holding the Strictly Parish event now is an ideal time as this is when many participants will be beginning training in earnest. We thank everyone who is giving their time to support the Strictly Parish talk and look forward to an entertaining and informative evening.”

The 2014 Manx Telecom Parish Walk takes place on Saturday June 21. Entries opened on December 1 and will close on May 11. Entry costs £30 which includes a commemorative Manx Telecom Parish Walk technical tee-shirt and goodie bag. All entries must be made at www.parishwalk.com

To encourage more young people to take part there are new trophies this year for teams of three aged 18 to 21 walking the 32.5 miles to Peel. The winners will be the team with the fastest combined time of all three walkers. There will be separate prizes for men’s and women’s teams. This year’s event will again feature a Corporate Challenge category for teams of four who must all be bona fide employees of the same company, with no team having more than one member who has previously completed the full 85-mile Parish Walk. There is also an overall team competition with the rule that no more than two of the four team members have previously finished the full Parish Walk course. All participants - including those for the team and Corporate Challenge events - must enter individually. To enter the team events, entrants simply put the name of their team or Corporate Challenge team on the online entry form.

The Manx Telecom Parish Walk can trace its roots back to the 1850s, but the first event that is comparable to the modern format was held in 1913. That year there was an event called the Parish Walking Match organised by the Isle of Man Times and the Manx Sporting Club. The First World War and its aftermath prevented any repetition of the event until 1923.