Clear view for a change

Its the nicest day we've had for a while and the Isle of Man looks great today.

I've had a few minutes to reflect whilst going for a short steady run a little while ago. Before I went out I highlighted the number of fixtures over the next couple of weeks..

It seems a long time ago that the athletics fraternity slagged off the politicians of the day for not providing an athletics track on the Isle of Man despite campaigning for one for thirty years or more. Yet, when one was built twenty one years ago there was no will to change the fixture list to accommodate a few purposeful events at the track.

Will we ever get back to the point where the senior track and field championships are the highlight of the year? Not when there are three other events promoted within three days of the event.

Get ready for reports of "there was a disappointing entry..." - its been coming during the past few weeks as entries have fallen in most events from the handicap races even to the fell races which until last weekend saw record entries in nearly every event.

There is one thing I never stopped saying in the time I have been involved in athletics - there have to be some gaps to make the challenges worthwhile. Imagine a mountain race that ran the whole way along a plateau? We have to go down to go up again.

For the record the Celton Manx Track & Field Championships will be held on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday morning there is a new Pier to Pier race in the South and on Friday night one of 11 handicap road races held over four months on the island. Tonight there is a 10km walk.