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 |
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!
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