Track open, up and running

I've been delighted to see some progress at rationalising the fixture list this year and I congratulate everyone who has been a part of this process.

I am particularly pleased to see the return of open meetings at the track in the Isle of Man nearly 20 years after an all weather surface was first laid.

One of my low points in the sport was in 1991 immediately after the opening of a facility that the sport had waited for so long to take advantage of, I failed to bring about change which I still feel would have been helpful.

I've just re-read the minutes of a meeting of the IOMAA on 16/09/91 at a time when I was Chairman of the IOMAA.    I tabled a draft fixtures list for the following year and the central feature was that the fixtures should be re-structured around a series of all island track and field meetings. Not only did I believe this to be in the best interests of the sport but it was what the athletes told me that that they wanted. I didn't receive any support from the voting members of the IOMAA and I decided later that evening that I could no longer lead a  programme of change that had seen my club Boundary Harriers merge with Manx AC.

The sport has moved on so far since then. We would never have believed the level of public funding for sport and sports development that would be available 20 years later.

I really hope that the open meetings are a great success.

And Manx Harriers have the sponsorship of Up & Running for their league this year and judging by the early promotion it looks set for a revival.

So we can look forward to the track open and being up and running.