A record number of entrants turned out for the sun-kissed 2024 edition of the Altenar Isle of Man Marathon and Half-Marathon on August 11.
Athletes had to deal with warm conditions but were cheered on by a large crowd on the streets of Ramsey as the event continued to go from strength to strength.
The course record in the half marathon was beaten by two competitors during a thrilling race, while simply completing the scenic but hilly route was the challenge for others as local runners were joined by entrants from around the UK and further afield.
As well as the race, Altenar sponsors the Isle of Man Athletics Volunteer Reward Scheme and the importance of volunteers was clear as an army of helpers helped with marshalling and staffing the much-needed water stations.
A record 386 runners took part in the half marathon which was won by Corrin Leeming in 1:07.11, while runner-up Ollie Lockley was also inside the course record which had stood since 2020.
I’m pretty happy with that as it was quite hot with a headwind in the second half but it was a good race. I hadn’t thought about the record because it’s quite hard on such a hilly course which is always undulating.
It’s been a great event with loads of people out running and the weather makes it even better. It’s great to see so many people getting involved.
Corrin Leeming
In the women’s race, Dawn Atherton was an impressive winner as she came in two minutes and 40 seconds clear of second-placed Kirsty Barber.
While he may have had to settle for second place, Lockley reflected on the positives for the sport in his role as Isle of Man Athletics Association Development Officer.
From my running perspective, I was happy with my time and the fact that I got beat by a local man is actually really encouraging. It shows we’ve got competition over here and that’s exactly what we need to boost the top end of the sport.
As an event, it’s really encouraging to see so many runners doing well and so many people out watching and supporting. For such a small community and town, it feels electric to have so many people here and to have over 500 runners is amazing.
Altenar have been a big help. Having an external sponsor is really important as it helps to boost the race and the sport in general. If we all collaborate together it can only be good for the sport.
The work we have done with the volunteer scheme highlights that and it’s a great way to get everyone involved, even if they’re injured or not able to run. Whether it’s making tea or being a marshal on the course, there’s something that anyone can help with and it’s good to recognise that.
Historically the race was always a local event but if we want it to grow, we want people coming from all over the globe and the fact that we’ve had people from North America and Europe coming over is great.
A lot of people have contacted me asking for their volunteer card and to get their stamps. Obviously the more stamps you get, the more rewards you get and it’s a little gesture to highlight their importance because without volunteers we wouldn’t have any events at all. We’re really grateful for that so hopefully it can continue to grow.
The marathon was won by Sam Jones, who completed a unique double having already won the Manx Mountain Marathon in March, while the women’s race went to Molly Whitehall.
Altenar’s CFO John Quaye was one of the runners to complete the marathon and also reflected on another successful staging of the event.
This is an event we really enjoy and being able to sponsor it and support its ongoing success is something we are really proud of. So much effort goes into staging it and Mo Kelly and the team are almost planning the next year the second the last finisher crosses the line.
Each year we’re trying to add a little something extra ourselves to the event, for example, with the new medals this year and a soon-to-be launched revised website that hopefully will help make 2025 even bigger and better.
Altenar’s CFO John Quaye
