One of the more active weeks on the site

After saying last week that the http://www.manxathletics.com/ site was taking a lower ranking in my time priorities I managed to raise it this week at the expense of my sleep.

There has been a fresh front page every day this week and in case you have missed them here are the links.

Sunday and Monday saw two separate features on the Isle of Man Bank Junior Fell Running Championships and Senior Hill Running League Round 2 which are now combined at: http://www.manxathletics.com/HillLeagueRD208.htm

Tuesday was the Keith Gerrard feature - http://www.manxathletics.com/Keith08.htm

Wednesday saw the relaunch of the Mann & Partners Millennium Way Relay - http://www.manxathletics.com/MWR08.htm

Thursday was the John Cannell feature - http://www.manxathletics.com/JC08.htm

and today was the launch of the Development plan which is still on the front page at this stage.

Last Saturday I had breakfast in Newcastle, morning coffee in Dublin and lunch in Douglas. I didn't stay long in Douglas however and I was itching to go and see the running at Peel. I missed the senior race and with so many photographers around I didn't bother to use my still camera but focused (pun intended) on some video of the youngsters. There was a great turnout although also missed the first junior race so not everyone was included on the film.

The video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr8sFHRry_Q

The Gateshead Cross Country used to be one of the few athletics events on TV and it was fabulous to see Keith Gerrard's great result there. It was strange to think that I had been within a few hundred yards of the venue the previous evening when travelling on the Metro.

I bumped into John Cannell on Sunday morning in Brunswick Road where I live so that was where I got his story from although I had to do a fair bit of research to dig out facts and photos.

Great news that the Millennium Way Relay has been saved although I have argued in the past (having been one of the organisers for several years) that the strain placed upon the organisers (particularly with the handicapping of teams which is far more complex than handicapping an individual event over one course) is unreasonable and the event should be moved from Boxing Day. It will interesting to see what happens after this year. But full marks to everyone involved - and there are too many to name here.

Having tried and failed many years ago to restructure the sport in the Isle of Man I am delighted to see the launch of the Development Plan which I have had sneak previews of from Andy Fox. He and his team have been working so hard behind the scenes. Nobody likes change but most people don't realise that it is happening all the time - athletes retire, roads get busier, athletes drop out. The sport has to change at least as fast as the environment in which it operates.

I've been to a couple of great concerts this week at the Villa Marina although they were so different in style and content. The total lack of seats was a bit too much for the audience profile at the Dylan Project but the concert was fine. To be able to chat to the band (and even get a chance to go and drink with them in their hotel) was so different to watching Queen and Paul Rogers at the MEN Arena in Manchester the previous week. As for Robin Gibb, take out his repetitive "the Isle of Man in the Greatest Country in the World" (my addition "that is why I lived elsewhere most of my life") and the show was really enjoyable. Is it only in the Isle of Man that people insist on chatting through the music or does someone always plant the idiots behind me?

You've heard this before but I need to spend less time on this website. Apart from anything else I have another one to work hard in the next 9 and half days and I haven't started yet. I have a meeting with the Parish Walk race director Raymond Cox on Monday evening.