John Cannell featured by the BBC

Six times winner John Cannell has been featured on the local BBC website.

Follow this link to read the story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/isleofman/content/articles/2009/06/19/johncannell_feature.shtml

Its hard to write a blog with your eyes closed

I have actually managed to fall asleep whilst working on my computer before now but I have reached one of those points where I can't manage all the things I planned to do tonight.

As usual for the day before the event, I shall be off work tomorrow preparing for the website but I have twice as many hours to fill as exist.

I'll be blogging on and off through the day.

With two laptops and a desktop at my disposal tomorrow, what I really need to is master the act of using more than one at once like I do with my video and still camera.

Easier to see other people's mistakes than your own

Whilst spotting an error in the Parish Walk stats printed elsewhere, I realised that I had made a mistake myself in a recent blog when I said that David Collister was heading for his 25th finish instead of his 26th.

I am lucky though - online you can correct your mistakes.

Now you see it, now you don't

The eagle eyed among you will have seen that a preview of the Parish Walk appeared briefly on iomtoday this morning. It has now gone.

I contacted sports editor John Watterson about a small part of the report and he quickly had the whole article removed as it was not due for publication until tomorrow when the Manx Independent is published.

Mobile reporting ready to go

I am writing this on my laptop this morning using a mobile connection supplied by Manx Telecom.

I am also picking up one of two laptops to be supplied by Colebourns tonight. This will allow me to increase the numbe of photos and videos I can upload at any one time.

It really is great to have the technology. I used to have to return home to upload photos and wouldn't even dream of having videos.

What happened to the first ever Clerical Medical numbers

Before the days of a dedicated committee to organise the Parish Walk, the late Arthur Jones used to do the vast majority of the organisation.

I was asked to find a sponsor however and made a number of committments to CMI that I thought I had best carry out myself. I made myself unpopular by sticking rigidly to a one week closing date but for the first time all entrants received the entry pack through the post on the Monday morning, two days after the close of entries.

But I have to admit that I took on too much and I was knackered by the time event started and even (very dangerously) nodded off at the wheel.

The evening I brought the first ever set of professionally manufactured numbers home (the previous ones were hand made by Arthur out of old lino) I dumped the box in the hallway together with the computer equipment from Skanco.

Time for a cup of tea.

When I went back into the hall I found that Ben had found a new toy and the numbers were scattered all over the hall! They had been in number order too!

David Collister added to old features page

It was only when compiling the mini-feature below that I realised that I had not added the links to the feature I did on David Collister the week before the event last year to the old features page.

That has now been rectified.

You can also link directly from here:

http://www.parishwalk.co.uk/2008prerace/Current%20Features.htm

There are now 14 featured walkers and you can see the next one on 1 December.

The features are not intended to be a list of the fastest to the slowest or most finishers to least, but rather a cross section of the people for who the Parish Walk is a major part of their year.

David Collister heads for number 26

One of the things that struck me when analysising David Collister's remarkable 25 consecutive finishes is the way that despite his consistency he has fallen down the field as the number of finishers has increased.

In 1995 he was 8th with 21:04:32. In 2007 he was 22 seconds faster for 80th place!

Here is the full ist of finishers again:

25:08:26
1984
7

23:20:28
1985
15

23:27:25
1986
14

21:48:58
1987
12

22:42:25
1988
6

22:43:13
1989
10

21:53:11
1990
5

21:07:21
1991
7

20:22:38
1992
7

20:39:40
1993
6

21:44:44
1994
10

21:04:32
1995
8

21:29:35
1996
12

21:25:34
1997
16

21:51:17
1998
28

21:09:49
1999
14

20:42:54
2000
21

19:56:25
2001
14

20:58:25
2002
20

21:34:34
2003
28

20:21:14
2004
29

20:31:46
2005
42

21:05:43
2006
81

21:24:10
2007
80

21:46:53
2008
73

The Clerical Medical Parish Walk magazine 2009

This is another big step in the status of the Parish Walk.

John Constandinou, the new editor of the Race Walking Record, is producing a special edition for the event. As far as I am aware, this has never been done before for any event in the history of the publication.

And its only costing £2.50 or you can even have five copies (spread them among your friends) for £10.

Find out all about it and order your copies here:


Order a special publication

One of the best parts of this, although John only had a few weeks to organise it, is that by using Michael George as a link to the organising committee he has ensured that the publication has the blessing of the event and he has worked hard to strengthen the links with the event sponsors.

On occasions organisations have suggested producing special products that would undermine the massive investment by Clerical Medical and Manx Telecom.

The message is, if you want to be associated with the event for commercial reasons you must contact the organisers in good time, preferably now for 2010.

BBC to feature walker

I've just been supplying statistics and an old photo of a well known Parish Walker for a feature on the BBC website. Watch this space. Or more precisely, watch the BBC local website in the next day or two.

Final feature goes live

Edmund Shillabeer is the final walker to be featured and the feature is now live.

Bizarre statistic

Here is something that only a statistician would pick up on.

Colin Moore, well known by Peel Football Club supporters for his statistics sent me this one a few months ago - even I would not pick up on this!

On the list of all time fastest times:

between 58 and 62 (Willie Corkill to Joe Brown) - all won (over a span of 38 years 1963-2001)

between 69 and 72 (Chris Flint to brother Martin) - all won (over a span of 38 years 1961-1999)

Final featured walker article drafted

Tonight I have spent all evening compiling an article on the 7th and final featured walker of the year.

I had so much material for the feature that I had put off the difficult part of choosing and editing the content for three months. I certainly didn't want to say that it would definitely happen but now that it is drafted I am pleased that I did.

Hopefully it will be reviewed and published in the next 24 hours.

Update your entry

I've just added the missing shortcut on the front page to:



https://www.sportident.co.uk/entries/login/login.php

Lots of users

339 different people accessed the website yesterday compared to 224 on the Sunday before the walk last year.

Usage peaked at 7,510 users on the Saturday race day last year.

Record holder to provide information

Clerical Medical Parish Walk record holder Sean Hands, pictured above on his way to that record in 2006, is to be on hand at the finish on Saturday evening / Sunday morning to provide a help facility for supporters.

He will be using one of the Colebourn sponsored laptops to to access the Manx Telecom timing system provided by SportIdent.

A second laptop will provide rolling statistics onto a large screen.

Final update page

I have this morning added a final update page to the website which will carry final reminders during the week:

http://www.parishwalk.co.uk/Updates.htm

I've started with the plans for Rushen Church which I posted on the www. manxathetics.com site six weeks ago.

Dru Hamm returns to the Parish Walk

There is a good story about Dru at:

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/Brave-Dru-defies-doctors-to.5358535.jp

I've also got a good personal story about Dru's determination which I shall try and bring you this week.

A lull but please be patient

I have an awful lot of things to squeeze on the site (and one or two things to do apart from websites) so bear with me.

This week has not been made any easier by the events at http://www.manxathletics.com/

Split times for that never ending section from Jurby to Bride

Sean Hands
01:22:46
2008

Jock Waddington
01:22:50
2008

Jock Waddington
01:25:12
2007

Robbie Callister
01:25:28
2007

Ray Pitts
01:25:29
2007

Michael George
01:25:48
2007

Robbie Callister
01:25:52
2008

Andrew Titley
01:26:53
2008

Dave Mackey
01:27:39
2008

Thomas Melvin
01:27:48
2007

Terry Moffat
01:28:17
2007

Maurice Bellando
01:28:41
2008

Sue Biggart
01:28:47
2008

Janice Quirk
01:28:47
2008

Michael George
01:29:27
2008

Michael Shipsides
01:29:48
2008

Terry Moffat
01:29:49
2008

Sue Biggart
01:30:12
2007

Martijn Biesmans
01:30:43
2008

Eammon Harkin
01:30:44
2007

Martijn Biesmans
01:31:08
2007

Alan Cowin
01:31:12
2008

Andrew Titley
01:32:18
2007

Jane Mooney
01:32:20
2007

David Chambers
01:33:28
2008

Mark Hempsall
01:33:33
2007

Kathryn Kennaugh
01:33:36
2007

Catherine Lowey
01:34:01
2007

Maureen Moffatt
01:34:13
2008

Kevin Marshall
01:34:24
2007

Alison Brand
01:34:28
2007

Julian Thomas
01:34:54
2007

Tony Okell
01:35:00
2008

Gordon Corran
01:35:07
2008

Alan McCulloch
01:35:23
2008

Stan Sille
01:35:39
2007

Steve Partington
01:35:43
2007

Michael Shipsides
01:35:49
2007

Janice Quirk
01:36:17
2007

David Churcher
01:37:16
2007

Marie Jackson
01:37:24
2008

Vinny Lynch
01:37:40
2008

Ernie Radcliffe
01:37:58
2008

Juan Readshaw
01:38:07
2008

Rosemarie Crellin
01:38:20
2008

Darren Mealin
01:38:22
2008

Mike Gellion
01:38:30
2008

Phil Marshall
01:38:34
2008

John Shimmin
01:39:12
2008

David Cain
01:39:15
2008

Mike Gellion
01:39:17
2007

Dave Cain
01:39:18
2007

Julian Thomas
01:39:19
2008

Michael Bonney
01:39:33
2008

Stephen Harvey
01:39:42
2008

Visiting walker blogging

Picked this one up through a Google alert tonight:

http://frasermackay.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-next-3-treks.html

Split times between Peel and Kirk Michael

Here are the split times for the past two years for all walkers under an hour and a half:



Sean Hands
01:08:27
2008

Robbie Callister
01:09:56
2007

Jock Waddington
01:11:26
2008

Michael George
01:12:13
2007

Thomas Melvin
01:12:48
2007

Ray Pitts
01:14:26
2007

Jock Waddington
01:15:14
2007

Robbie Callister
01:15:58
2008

Terry Moffat
01:16:08
2008

Eammon Harkin
01:16:15
2007

Michael George
01:16:42
2008

Maurice Bellando
01:17:01
2008

Stephen Harvey
01:17:09
2008

Martijn Biesmans
01:17:41
2007

Terry Moffat
01:17:53
2007

Michael Shipsides
01:17:59
2008

Sue Biggart
01:18:03
2007

John Shimmin
01:18:08
2008

Dave Mackey
01:19:16
2008

Alison Brand
01:19:20
2007

Sue Biggart
01:19:28
2008

Andy Green
01:19:40
2008

Vinny Lynch
01:19:50
2007

Alan McCulloch
01:20:04
2008

Steve Partington
01:20:32
2007

Gordon Corran
01:20:55
2008

Alan Cowin
01:21:06
2008

Stan Sille
01:21:27
2007

Jane Mooney
01:21:30
2007

Andrew McCutcheon
01:21:39
2008

Michael Shipsides
01:22:00
2007

Vinny Lynch
01:22:15
2008

Janice Quirk
01:22:25
2007

Alan Kinvig
01:22:28
2007

Dave Cain
01:22:47
2007

Mike Gellion
01:22:56
2008

Mark Hempsall
01:22:56
2007

Catherine Lowey
01:23:00
2007

Janice Quirk
01:23:08
2008

Marie Jackson
01:23:15
2008

Kathryn Kennaugh
01:23:28
2007

Kevin Marshall
01:23:29
2007

Andrew Titley
01:23:38
2008

Phil Marshall
01:23:54
2008

Paul Malone
01:23:57
2008

Martijn Biesmans
01:23:59
2008

Barry Cowin
01:24:43
2007

Jane Ryder
01:24:46
2008

John C Ryder
01:24:57
2008

Danny Jordan
01:25:07
2007

Julian Thomas
01:25:24
2007

David Cain
01:25:48
2008

Dave Mackey
01:25:56
2007

Peter Beighton
01:25:57
2007

Andrew Titley
01:26:06
2007

Marie Gilbertson
01:26:10
2007

Maureen Moffatt
01:26:11
2007

Anthony Kneale
01:26:17
2008

Matthew Haddock
01:26:19
2007

David Chambers
01:26:21
2008

Maureen Moffatt
01:26:21
2008

Marie Gilbertson
01:26:25
2008

Mike Gellion
01:26:32
2007

Shirley Gage
01:26:35
2007

Shirley Gage
01:26:42
2008

Darren Mealin
01:26:45
2008

Jane Mooney
01:26:53
2008

Chris Cale
01:26:58
2008

Kate Cain
01:27:08
2008

Chris Cale
01:27:11
2007

John C Ryder
01:27:12
2007

Ernie Radcliffe
01:27:17
2008

Ernie Radcliffe
01:27:18
2007

Ian Allan Dunbar
01:27:28
2008

Gill Churcher
01:27:40
2007

David Churcher
01:27:41
2007

Doug Allan
01:27:47
2007

Richard Fathers
01:27:51
2007

Terri Salmon
01:27:53
2008

Juan Hatton
01:27:56
2007

Antony Atkinson
01:27:59
2007

Colin Moore
01:28:01
2007

Jamie Beaman
01:28:04
2008

George Blair
01:28:06
2007

Andrew Ferrer
01:28:10
2007

David James
01:28:22
2008

Fintan Suddards
01:28:25
2007

Martin Hall
01:28:30
2007

Steve Taggart
01:28:31
2008

Julie Cretney
01:28:31
2008

John Gallagher
01:28:31
2008

Michael Bonney
01:28:44
2008

Jane Crowe
01:28:52
2008

Jim Davidson
01:28:57
2008

Richard Gerrard
01:28:58
2008

Eleanor Gawne
01:29:00
2008

David Clucas
01:29:10
2008

Stan Sille
01:29:20
2008

Emma McGreevy
01:29:25
2007

Malcolm Newton
01:29:25
2008

Dermot O'Toole
01:29:43
2007

Stephen Brew
01:29:45
2008

Alan Brew
01:29:47
2008

Tony Okell
01:29:54
2008

Programme

I've just added a pdf copy of the programme for anyone not yet in possession of hard copy.

You can download it from www.parishwalk.com/2009/PW09prog.pdf

Its quite alarge file (6MB) so it would be helpful if you download a copy and save a copy to your PC or laptop rather than opening a new copy on serveral occasions. Thanks.

Please note, that I am not in anyway reponsible for the content so please do not contact me about the programme.

Last five years at an all time high

There have been 47 Parish Walks in the modern era. In case you had not previously noticed or read, there was no event in 1965 or 1966.

Taking each five year block of winning times within the most recent 45, the average winning time during the five years ending 2008 was 40 minutes faster than an other period:


1968
16:22:20

1973
16:38:21

1978
17:41:46

1983
16:04:05

1988
16:46:49

1993
17:21:56

1998
16:46:53

2003
16:37:33

2008
15:24:00

Countdown continues with interview with defending champion Jock Waddington

Its Kelly from the Isle of Man

The Parish Walk has definitely kept its Manxness judging by the names of the entrants. Here are the most common surnames:

Kelly 23

Cain 12

Moore 11

Callister 11

Smith 10

Callow 10

Webb 9

Quayle 9

Jones 9

Some of the most popular names

There are seven of these:


Walker
Taylor
Crellin
Cowley
Clague
Christian
Cannell

And eight of these:


Cowin
Quirk
Murphy
Davies

Did you know that the Parish Walk was to be held on Thursday 18 June?

The weather has been fantastic in the Isle of Man during the past few days. It would be too hot if the Parish Walk had been held today. Despite the awful weather last year I don't think that walkers would have been slowed as much as they would be by extreme heat.

I've been back running in the early mornings and the weather couldn't be better for that.

In the evening too. I went for a walk with Marie around town last night and we continued the game started by a famous walker and his family a few years ago of trying to work out which of the brisk walkers are training for the Parish Walk.

But we met one entrant who was training on ice cream. You may remember Geoff Kinvig (above) being pictured with Robbie Callister and Sean Hands at a feeding station in the End to End Walk a couple of years ago. He has walked to Peel and Ballaugh in the last couple of years and hopes to make it "up North" this year.

We took some light refreshment and overheard a barman talking about the Parish Walk to one of the customers. I think he was complaining about the prospect of the roads being blocked somewhere by "thousands" of walkers. The customer asked him when the walk was held and he said: "As far as I know its on Thursday 18 June".

He shouldn't have any problems with the roads being blocked then!

6 of each of the following have entered the race

Allen
Bell
Brew
Clarke
Corlett
Cubbon
Hughes
Martin
Roberts
Teare
Thomas
Watterson

6th featured walker

I have just finished compiling and editing the sixth special feature of the 2009 Clerical Medical Parish Walk website.

I am going to wait for the featured walker to confirm that they are happy with the content before I publish it - hopefully tomorrow.

Numbers 51 to 100

51
Chris
Murphy
Finisher 2007 and 2008

52
Janet
Allen
Finisher 2005 and 2006

53
Peter
Wood
Finisher 2002, 2004 and 2006

54
John
Callow
Finisher 2005, 2006 and 2008

55
Anthony
Atkinson
Fnisher 2006, 2007 and 2008

56
Jane
Crowe
Finisher 2007 and 2008

57
Ernie
Radcliffe
Finisher 2006, 2007 and 2008

58
Malcolm
Newton
Finisher 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008

59
Ian
Ashcroft
Finisher 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007

60
Peter
Bettridge
Finisher 2007

61
Robert
Wright
Finisher 2006 and 2007

62
Alex
Wijsman
Finisher 2008

63
Richard
Spenceley
Finisher 2007 & 2008

64
Michael
Bonney
Finisher 2007 & 2008

65
Lisa
Motley
Finisher 2004 and 2006

66
Kevin
Graham
Finisher 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006

67
Irene
Taggart
Finisher eleven times

68
David
Cretney
Finisher 2006 and 2007

69
Bernadette
Devlin
Finisher 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007

70
Adrian
Beale
Finisher 2000, 2002, 2005 and 200

71
Mark
Honeyman
Finisher 2005

72
Mark
Kinley
Finisher 2007

73
David
Clucas
Finisher 2007

74
Bob
Corrin
Finisher 2007

75
John
Hunter
Finisher 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007

76
Louise
Thomas
Finishser 2004 and 2006

77
Bob
Noonan
Finisher 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007

78
Colin
Moore
Finisher 2006

79
David
Anderson
Finisher 2005 and 2007

80
Ian
Comish
Finisher 2007 and 2008

81
Paul
Morgans
Finisher 2006 and 2007

82
Glenn
Weir
Finisher 2004 and 2006

83
Sean
Murphy
Finisher 2007

84
Ian
Dunbar
Finisher 2008

85
Bethany
Clague
Finisher 2005, 2006 and 2008

86
Robert
Corrin
Finisher 2004

87
Jenny
Davies
Finisher 2006

88
Joanne
Cubbon
Finisher 2005

89
Haydn
Cubbon
Finisher 2005

90
Jane
Cross
Finisher 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006

91
David
James
Finisher 2006

92
Kath
Kelly
Finisher 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008

93
Richard
Gerrard
Finisher 2008

94
Edward
Marshall
Finisher 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008

95
Perry
Downward
Finisher 2008

96
Steve
Allen
Finisher 2007

97
Paul
Boulton
Finisher 2007

98
John
Watterson
Finisher 2007 and 2008

99
Brian
Connolly
Finisher 2006, 2007 and 2008

100
Gordon
Erskine
Finisher 2006 & 2007