35 years since first entering the Syd Quirk Half Marathon and its no longer an afterthought

Give me a choice between an event with 252 people taking part on Sunday morning, with online entries and results, or 15 people running around the same course in the afternoon and I know which option I would choose.

Nevertheless its hard not to be nostalgic about the state of the Manx athletics scene when I became a regular competitor in 1979 after four years off the Isle of Man at North Staffs Polytechnic in Stoke-on-Trent, punctuated by two six month work placements, one back on the Isle of Man and the other based in Manchester.

Steve Kelly was in his prime and was winning just about every local race on every surface but Dave Newton was always pushing hard.

It was 20p to enter the Syd Quirk in 1979. Actually I just made that up. It was 20p in 1981 (I can prove that) and so with inflation at a high point then perhaps it was only 10p in 1979!

In the Haldane Syd Quirk Half Marathon last year 80% of the runners were slower than 1 hour and 30 minutes. In the late 70s the majority were under that time. Runners were nearly all young men; hardly any women and certainly very few veterans.

In June 1979 I started an extremely intensive block of race walking training principally with the TT Walk in August in mind. The following week I had my best ever fell race pushing Steve Kelly most of the way in the Laxey horseshoe fell race.

In October, against the odds of getting a full time job on the Isle of Man, I started a very well paid one at Ronaldsway Aircraft Company.



A couple of weeks after starting I was lining up just down the road from the Ballasalla factory, outside what was then Mylchreests Motors (now Ocean Ford). This is how the race went:

1	Kelly	Steve	01:11:24
2	Newton	Dave	01:13:41
3	Lambden	Murray	01:14:09
4	Horne	Andrew	01:18:59
5	Cannell	John	01:22:30
6	Wright	John	01:24:24
7	Evans	Terry	01:24:52
8	Cain	Phil	01:27:03
9	Callister	Keith	01:29:03
10	Joughin	Mitch	01:29:16
11	Varley	Tony	01:32:03
12	Stevenson	Richie	01:34:30
13	Moore	Allen	01:35:56
14	Cringle	Noel	01:37:15
15	Gray	Mike	01:37:50

A few useful walking results in 1980 but the first weekend of November was out of season for the long walks so I would probably have done it again had it not been that I went away to my niece's Christening and took in the Enfield 7 miles that weekend.

After my international debut in Brighton (35km on the track) at the end of June 1981, I struggled for a few weeks with injury and retired from the National 50km walk. I managed to run the first ever Douglas to Castletown run on 3 August and then resumed my walking training sufficiently well to win the TT walk on 15 August. September was a mad month winning the Morecambe 20km on 12th, walking 50km in the End to End the week after, 9.38.38 for 2nd in the National 100km walk the weekend after that, into October with the TT Relay walk, a win in the Stockport 7 miles, the York 7 miles, Then an easy week, followed by 101 miles walking with a winter league walk at the end. By now I was a week from the Syd Quirk and on the Monday and Thursday of race week I did 6 miles running at lunchtime in addition to 12 and 14 miles in the evening. I recall that I ran those sessions at 5.30 mile pace and after another 6 miles running on Friday evening and rest on Saturday my preparation for the Syd Quirk was complete!

Although I was fairly pleased with my run, my 1.10.59 clocking only really received a passing mention in the report as Steve Kelly continued his domination.

Just two years after that I retired from athletics after a lot of problems with my back - at 27 I was advised not to continue what I was doing and I didn't really want to be making excuses for sub standard performances. Little did I think that I would be lining up for Syd Quirk number 17 - 31 years after my retirement.

Although I watched the event every year, the thought of entering again didn't really cross my mind for many years. In 1996 Paul Curphey and I trained hard for the Robin Hood Half Marathon and we finished about 21st and 22nd out of the 8,000 runners. After recovery I suggested rather half heartedly that we may as well do the Syd Quirk as well. In the week leading up to it I had a sore shin and nearly pulled out and the there were gale force winds. With Peter Costley, Kevin Albinson and Bernie Cannan in the field we thought we would be well back but we dropped the others at the end of the first lap and Paul put a great kick in going out of Ballasalla to make his break.

1	Curphey	Paul	01:15:28
2	Lambden	Murray	01:15:51
3	Costley	Peter	01:16:24
4	Cannan	Bernard	01:17:16
5	Albinson	Kevin	01:19:39
6	Motley	Phil	01:20:08
7	Finn	Danny	01:20:18
8	Kelly	Steve	01:20:23
9	Postlethwaite	Alan	01:20:50
10	Gellion	Mike	01:21:36
11	Crawford	Ian	01:22:24
12	Rushton	Karen	01:23:19
13	Sinclair	Nigel	01:23:44
14	Cubbon	Paul	01:24:37
15	Radcliffe	Richard	01:25:16
16	Bates	Terry	01:26:24
17	Parrick	Hadyn	01:27:41
18	Cooper	Peter	01:27:48
19	Taubman	Ray	01:28:13
20	Murphy	Jack	01:32:23
21	Grady	John	01:32:26
22	Mooney	Jane	01:32:49
23	Moughtin	Roger	01:33:17
24	Packard	Martin	01:33:27
25	Callister	Robbie (2)	01:33:39
26	Pilling	Alan	01:35:59
27	Hooke	Bill	01:37:52
28	Cox	Simon	01:38:13
29	Williams	Gareth	01:42:08
30	Corran	Allan	01:43:25
31	Watson	Dawn	01:46:45
32	Tasker	Dave	01:48:19
33	Halsall	Derek	01:50:21
34	Cooil	Miriam	01:53:34
35	Harrison	Susanne	02:07:20
36	Harrison	Sylvia	02:07:44
37	Turner	Diane	02:11:56
38	Kelly	Judy	02:23:32

I can't remember much about 1997 but it was when Bernie was at his peak and I didn't get near to him.

1	Cannan	Bernard	01:15:37
2	Lambden	Murray	01:20:05
3	Radcliffe	Richard	01:20:36
4	Crawford	Ian	01:21:17
5	Gellion	Mike	01:21:44
6	Hughes	Peter	01:25:53
7	Taubman	Ray	01:28:26
8	Cooper	Peter	01:29:00
9	Hall	Stan	01:29:03
10	Bagley	Alan	01:30:44
11	Corkill	Dougie	01:31:23
12	Jewell	Neville	01:31:36
13	Shooter	Ray	01:31:56
14	Pickard	Martin	01:33:38
15	Corran	Allan	01:33:49
16	Cox	Simon	01:34:37
17	Pilling	Alan	01:35:45
18	Page	Andy	01:36:48
19	Dyer	Lawrence	01:37:50
20	Hooten	Rose	01:39:29
21	Bell	Martin	01:40:42
22	Hooke	Bill	01:42:20
23	Martin	Kevin	01:43:20
24	Tasker	Dave	01:46:16
25	Cain	Ann	01:50:45
26	Chrystal	Collette	02:17:31

I don't know if I ever told Bernie this though but the following year, when he was not in such good form and I had just returned from a holiday, I agreed to act as hare for Paul. I went out really fast, took Bernie with me, we both slowed and Paul went through to win.

1	Curphey	Paul	01:16:20
2	Cannan	Bernard	01:17:15
3	Lambden	Murray	01:18:43
4	Hughes	Peter	01:21:44
5	Bates	Terry	01:21:50
6	Crawford	Ian	01:25:41
7	Gellion	Mike	01:26:52
8	Mackie	Phil	01:26:57
9	Cooper	Peter	01:29:58
10	Bagley	Alan	01:30:40
11	Stigant	Graham	01:31:09
12	Corkill	Dougie	01:31:24
13	Macgregor	Neil	01:31:33
14	Grady	John	01:32:20
15	Sinclair	Nigel	01:33:00
16	Shooter	Ray	01:34:45
17	Taubman	Ray	01:35:10
18	Callister	Robbie (2)	01:36:11
19	Brown	Les	01:39:44
20	Hooke	Bill	01:43:52
21	Tasker	Dave	01:43:56
22	Bates	Graham	01:44:45
23	Pilling	Alan	01:49:38
24	Hodgson	Al	02:03:38
25	Bates	Carol	02:17:11

I didn't take part in 1999 but 2000 was once again an afterthought having run the Abingdon Marathon two weeks earlier. I ran that one badly and blew up to run 2.45.59 but was extremely fortunate to be credited with 2.44.59 and secured my place for London the following year.I ran steadily in the Syd Quirk and kept Robbie Callister honest towards the end. By this time Tony Okell. who has won the race more times than anyone other than Steve Kelly, was the man to beat.

1	Okell	Tony	01:14:11
2	Callister	Robbie	01:16:13
3	Lambden	Murray	01:16:55
4	Hughes	Peter	01:20:32
5	Cannan	Bernard	01:21:03
6	Robinson	Philip	01:22:00
7	Crawford	Ian	01:25:07
8	Postlethwaite	Alan	01:25:21
9	Bates	Terry	01:25:41
10	Noon	Marie	01:26:42
11	Hall	Stan	01:27:49
12	Sinclair	Nigel	01:30:09
13	Dickinson	Paul	01:31:10
14	Cooper	Peter	01:31:36
15	Duncan	Tony	01:32:57
16	Bagley	Alan	01:33:03
17	Moughtin	Roger	01:33:47
18	Collins	Pat	01:34:26
20	Brown	Stephen	01:34:59
19	Corran	Allan	01:34:59
21	Trees	Paul	01:35:46
22	Dyer	Lawrence	01:36:38
23	Grady	John	01:37:38
24	Bell	Martin	01:37:52
25	Hempsall	Mark	01:38:35
26	Stigant	Lorraine	01:39:52
27	Moore	Shirley	01:39:59
28	Titley	Andrew	01:40:48
29	Kelly	Alan	01:41:00
30	Scott	Richard	01:43:11
31	Pilling	Alan	01:43:32
32	Hempsall	Nicola	01:45:28
33	Tasker	Dave	01:46:49
34	Martin	Kevin	01:49:24
35	Crook	Michael	01:49:31
36	Turner	Diane	01:54:32
37	Ronan	Ron	01:58:22
38	Evans	Kenneth	01:58:48
39	Furner	Sue	01:59:41
40	Hall	Moira	02:07:20
41	Bates	Carol	02:12:56
42	Barwell	Christine	02:15:47
43	Jacobs	Arnie	02:24:32
43	Kelly	Maureen	02:24:32
45	Goldsmith	Sarah	02:30:28
46	Moon	Richard	03:14:18
47	Bell	Bernadette	03:22:20

2001 was an a-Pauling year! 5 Pauls in the first 13. I got some stick from my brother Martin as for the first time I was slower than his one and only appearance.

1	Okell	Tony	01:14:33
2	Clarke	Paul	01:18:34
3	Gale	Ian	01:19:20
4	Curphey	Paul	01:20:12
5	Lambden	Murray	01:23:14
6	Postlethwaite	Alan	01:24:41
7	Motley	Phil	01:25:33
8	Young	David	01:26:37
10	Bates	Terry	01:27:35
9	Crawford	Ian	01:27:35
11	Cubbon	Paul	01:28:10
12	Dickinson	Paul	01:28:33
13	Trees	Paul	01:30:10

Fields were getting bigger now so I won't repeat all the results but Tony Okell was winning every year. The finish in Ballasalla was getting pretty crowded too but the presentation remained at Malew Football Club. Later in moved to Ronaldsway Aircraft Company and then to Castletown Civic Centre.

1	Okell	Tony	01:15:17
2	Clarke	Paul	01:16:44
3	Gale	Ian	01:17:44
4	Callister	Robbie	01:20:38
5	Curphey	Paul	01:21:30
6	Lambden	Murray	01:21:31
7	Garrett	Mike	01:27:05
8	Young	David	01:27:54
9	Foulkes-Morris	Gareth	01:28:45
9	Stigant	Graham	01:28:45
11	Cole	Damian	01:28:53
12	Trees	Paul	01:29:06
13	Bates	Terry	01:29:49

It was good to have Mike Garrett back training with Paul and I after a six year absence and he featured in 2002 (above).

2003 saw Ian Gale win well whilst Brian Osbourne complained of being bored whilst I bust a gut to keep him in sight! Mike was a lot faster a year later and Simon Skillicorn's name was starting to appear.

1	Gale	Ian	01:15:42
2	Osborne	Brian	01:19:07
3	Lambden	Murray	01:21:35
4	Garrett	Mike	01:22:13
5	Skillicorn	Simon	01:23:02
6	Curphey	Paul	01:23:25
7	Postlethwaite	Alan	01:23:54
8	Young	David	01:26:25
9	Dickinson	Paul	01:26:30
10	Watson	Andy	01:27:16
11	Kneen	Chris	01:28:15
12	Jewell	Neville	01:29:09
13	Corrin	Dave	01:29:59

And it was Simon who was closest to me when I finally won in 2004 at the age of 48. Nigel Armstrong had also joined my training group with Paul and Mike as had Nev Jewell who was under 1.30. But the focus of my group was always on the London Marathon with the Lancashire Cross Country and the 20 miles in March being our secondary aims.

1	Lambden	Murray	01:17:09
2	Skillicorn	Simon	01:18:17
3	Garrett	Mike	01:19:10
4	Armstrong	Nigel	01:19:59
5	Curphey	Paul	01:22:22
6	Scott	Ben	01:22:44
7	Postlethwaite	Alan	01:23:28
8	Kneen	Chris	01:24:29
9	Crawford	Ian	01:24:36
10	George	Michael	01:25:06
11	Cannan	Bernard	01:25:36
12	Radcliffe	Richard	01:26:02
13	Quinn	Daniel	01:26:28
14	Brown	Stephen	01:26:54
15	Glover	David	01:27:24
16	Sinclair	Nigel	01:28:46
17	Callister	Robbie	01:29:09

My late uncle, John Crowe, rang me to congratulate me after reading about my 2004 success and said: "You looked as if you were in a lot of pain. Now that you have finally won, don't you think its time to give up?".

I ignored his advice and was back in 2005 and I had a new name ahead of me for the first mile before Kevin Loundes faded. Fell runners to the fore:

1	Okell	Tony	01:15:05
2	Skillicorn	Simon	01:16:36
3	Lambden	Murray	01:17:48
4	Armstrong	Nigel	01:20:41
5	Garrett	Mike	01:20:46
6	Callister	Robbie	01:21:13
7	Loundes	Kevin	01:21:15
8	Curphey	Paul	01:24:21
9	Clague	Mark	01:24:25
10	Bell-Scott	Anthony	01:25:11
11	Young	David	01:26:32
12	George	Michael	01:27:24
13	Cubbon	Paul	01:27:30
14	Quine	Michael	01:27:48
15	Wilson	Neil	01:29:01
16	Blenkinsop	Craig	01:29:21

The main thing I remember about 2006 was the incredible support for Christian Varley around the course.

1	Okell	Tony	01:14:51
2	Skillicorn	Simon	01:15:06
3	Loundes	Kevin	01:15:34
4	Gray	Darren	01:16:29
5	Garrett	Mike	01:17:59
6	Gumbley	Ed	01:18:18
7	Lambden	Murray	01:18:39
8	Varley	Christian	01:18:53
9	Clarke	Paul	01:20:21
10	Packer	Malcolm	01:20:45
11	Callister	Robbie	01:21:00
12	Melvin	Tom	01:23:38
13	Skillicorn	Darren	01:24:21
14	Curphey	Paul	01:24:50
15	Malone	Martin	01:25:27
16	Wilson	Neil	01:28:21
17	Cubbon	Paul	01:28:24
18	Hempsall	John	01:28:34

Can't remember much about 2007 but Kevin Loundes won - the year before he was stopped by the train.

1	Loundes	Kevin	01:15:30
2	Armstrong	Nigel	01:19:35
3	Scott	Ben	01:20:17
4	Garrett	Mike	01:21:23
5	Lambden	Murray	01:21:53
6	Partington	Steve	01:22:54
7	Postlethwaite	Alan	01:22:59
8	Deakes	Kevin	01:25:05
9	Cubbon	Paul	01:25:31
10	Young	David	01:27:12
11	Gellion	Mike	01:27:53
12	Sellors	Rob	01:28:14
13	Wilson	Neil	01:28:36
14	Moffatt	James	01:29:25

2008 was the first year I had trained every day as a runner and my form was transformed - but by September I was injured and missed a potential marathon PB in Amsterdam. I was at the Syd Quirk with the camera but was back to run in 2009 when Lloyd Taggart won for the first time.

I remember a great move by Rob Sellors, who beat me for the first time, and barely moving into the wind as I raced Russell Collister on his debut. For the first time I was slower at half marathon that I had run my marathons earlier in the year!

1	Taggart	Lloyd	01:15:18
2	Malone	Martin	01:15:44
3	Garrett	Mike	01:21:35
4	Sellors	Rob	01:23:42
5	Lambden	Murray	01:25:12
6	Storrie	Aron	01:26:18
7	Cubbon	Paul	01:26:36
8	Collister	Russell	01:26:52
9	Lewthwaite	Paul	01:26:55
10	Lee	Jackie	01:27:43
11	Deakes	Kevin	01:28:55
12	Cowin	Barry	01:29:43

2010 was a mini repeat of 2008 for me. Entered the Amsterdam Marathon got injured, ran really badly there so didn't make the Syd Quirk;

At last Mike Garrett wins in 2011. Running with Paul Curphey was like turning back the clocks particularly when he put one of his infamous bursts in to pass Kevin Deakes just after 5 miles.

1	Garrett	Mike	01:16:08
2	Taggart	Lloyd	01:17:07
3	Cringle	Tom	01:19:50
4	Sellors	Rob	01:20:23
5	Armstrong	Nigel	01:22:25
6	Lambden	Murray	01:22:51
7	Curphey	Paul	01:23:18
8	Deakes	Kevin	01:25:15
9	Knott	Timothy	01:26:24
10	Cuthbert	Philip	01:26:31
11	Shipway	Richard	01:26:54
12	Quaye	Nigel	01:27:25
13	Lee	Jackie	01:27:45
14	Sutton	Paul	01:28:22

In September 2012 I retired for a second time and have not run any marathons since. My knee prevented me from driving more than 20 minutes without a rest and my hip was also a concern. So I didn't expect to be back in 2013 for Syd Quiirk number 16. With the fields now much bigger it was by far the most company I had enjoyed during the race and I really enjoyed it - so much so that I was only 2 seconds outside my personal worst!

1	Gumbley	Ed	01:14:34
2	Newton	Jamie	01:16:18
3	Garrett	Mike	01:17:13
4	Cringle	Tom	01:17:26
5	Knott	Timothy	01:18:47
6	Sykes	Paul	01:20:26
7	Sellors	Rob	01:20:35
8	Reynolds	Chris	01:21:30
9	Russell	Adam	01:21:39
10	Goatman	Ian	01:22:27
11	Collister	Russell	01:23:10
12	Taggart	Jacqueline	01:23:27
13	Mcgowan	Jon	01:23:57
14	Lyon	Steve	01:24:00
15	Shipway	Richard	01:24:24
16	Sutton	Paul	01:25:02
17	Lambden	Murray	01:25:14
18	Geddes	Fionn	01:25:20
19	Highfeld	Richard	01:25:26
20	Deakes	Kevin	01:25:35
21	Brogan	Neil	01:26:20
22	Sandford	Alan	01:26:24
23	Boyde	Nikki	01:27:04
24	Curphey	Paul	01:27:12
25	Brown	Stephen	01:27:20
26	Rice	Geoffrey	01:27:48
27	Winrow	Daniel	01:28:58

Another year on and my form has really dropped. Cracking my ribs and missing 6 weeks of running didn't help (although poor diet and too much wine are probably more significant) and I have only raced 6 times this year. But the funny thing is that I have prepared more specifically than for any of my previous 16. I have done three 15 miles sessions and countless 12 milers.

Training times don't lie and so I shall be much slower than ever before. But the thought that for the first time ever this is my main race of the year makes me quite nervous. Only Alan Pilling has run it more times than me but I am going to have to run another 14 times to break the only record in my sights!

Mind the gap

The Sunday before last I had the pleasure of a run around central London. I started from the Tower Hotel, where I was staying, and after a short trip around Wapping, I ran back past the hotel and over Tower Bridge.

Thereafter I ran along the south bank of the Thames to Vauxhall Bridge and back on the north side. I diverted past the Houses of Parliament, pretending I was running in the London Marathon again as I went down Bird Cage Walk and along the Mall, before going along the Strand and retreating along the river bank.

The previous time I had run across Tower Bridge, the day before the London Marathon, I had stopped to talk to a couple of 2 hour and 4 minutes marathon runners! This time I saw dozens of runners and joggers that would take twice that time, or more, to cover the marathon distance and my pace was closer to the latter than the former.

I had the amazing luxury of closed roads in the centre of London as preparations for the Tour of Britain cycle race unfolded - I saw a little of the time trial later in the morning.

My main thought whilst running though was what I am about to say now.

30 years ago we could never have imagined so many middle age people running around the towns and cities of the British Isles. But neither could we have imagined the lack of young people doing the same.

Middle to long distance running standards peaked in the early 1980s. Yet, by the time I ran the Great North Run in 1998 I expected to have to go sub 74 minutes just short of my 42nd birthday to be sure of making the top 200. I would say this, but there was a strong head wind year that year and I only managed 75.21 but it was good enough for 140th.

This year's stage managed Great North Run had the poorest standard ever with the 100th finisher much slower than the same position in the very first year when most of the field were locals. My 1998 time would have achieved 57th this year in much better conditions.

There were just 25 runners in the good club runner standard of 70 to 75 minutes.

I'm greedy. I want to keep the slower runners that are so welcome to our sport but I just wish there far more 20 to 35 years old running and committing to some hard training.

In the early afternoon of that Sunday I went walking close to the Olympic Park.

 

The grandeur of the architecture and facilities is to be admired. But there must be so many young men capable of running under 75 minutes, and women the equivalent standard of sub 83, just by using the parkland, the canal paths and the pavements.

We're told to mind the gap in London and of course the gap doesn't exist on the modern underground lines. But above the surface the gap between the elite runners and the average time has never been more exposed.

Towering memories

"Have you stayed with us before" the receptionist asked me as I checked into the Tower Hotel in London on Saturday.

"Yes" I replied. "But it was 31 years ago." I didn't tell her that by the time I checked out on the previous occasion I effectively ended my race walking career after failing in my attempt to win the National 50km championship and ending up in the position below.

Nor did I tell her that I was there to meet some of the people I had raced that weekend at Enfield in July 1983 - even I did not know that I would be seated on the same table as Roger Mills (left) and Amos Seddon (right) at the lunch to celebrate British walkers at the Commonwealth Games since 1966 - had Graham Young been between Roger and I and Chris Maddocks between myself and Amos this would have replicated the seating plan!

In 1983 the 50km championship started at midday in temperatures high into the 80s. So what has changed other than that we measure the heat in centigrade?

There used to be four national road walking championships at 10 miles (March), 20km (May), 20 Miles (June) but replaced by 35km, and 50km (July). They were all preceded by regional championships at the same distances.

30 or 40 years ago there were calls for reform. Too many championships, so they introduced another at 100km.

Who would have thought that in the Isle of Man 30 years later we were disappointed at a field of just over 200 for the End to End walk. On the other side of the coin, who would have thought that great clubs like Sheffield and Leicester would have vanished.

 

Or that Stella Corlett, pictured with me on the Steam Packet ferry on the way to the race, would have achieved 9 finishes in the 85 Mile Parish Walk - more than her husband Roy, who took the photo, and myself combined.

 

Some things don't change. Amos Seddon, who was leading the race in the photo above, can still eat everyone else under the table and 1974 Commonwealth Champion, John Warhurst on the left of the photo above, still has the same hairstyle!

Friends were just as important than as now and I was so grateful to Roy (in photo with me) and Stella for going to support me and record the moments in 1983.

My sister Margaid used to support me at quite a few races so it was nice that she and her husband Alan joined me for breakfast on Sunday.

This blog has not really gone the way I intended so I shall just concentrate on my last 50km race. Here are the reports:

"How was your stay sir? I hope you won't wait another 31 years before you return" she said. Not sure that I will be round in 31 years but you won't have to wait that long to read, or avoid, my next story from the Tower Hotel as I have some more stories to tell reflecting on the past 30 years.