TOP 100 RIDERS

With regards to the seeding, this is based on last year’s performance only and is not negotiable. We are sorry if you missed a year, but in last year’s event few riders were disadvantaged by starting after the first 100 as it is relatively easy to catch up to the first group on the road section.

If you are a top 100 rider or junior please go direct to the start area.

SIGNING ON

TO BE CONFIRMED.

Friday night signing-on will be from 17.00 until 19.30.  No food will be served at this session, but if you wish you may take a ticket and return on Saturday.  It would be helpful if local riders could try to use this session as it will ease congestion on Saturday. 

The Saturday session will run from 14.00 until 20.00 in the same location.

You must sign on personally at one of these sessions, there is NO signing on at the start, no-one can sign-on on your behalf.  Under-18 riders must bring a parent/guardian to sign the disclaimer.

If you are unavailable through work committments you may possibly be able to sign on earlier by prior arrangement (contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )

A complete set of registration instructions and starting procedures will be made available in the rider briefing document given when you sign on.

STARTING ARRANGEMENTS

• On arrival at the start area (whether by bike, coach, car, etc) ALL riders need to follow the way marked route to the start.  This heads towards the lighthouse, then bears right to the shore-line car park area.  From there the arrows follow a pathway to the right close to the shore-line.
• Please keep to the marked route and avoid trampling/riding across vegetation – this is a protected area.
• After approximately 200m you will emerge into a large open area that is about the size of a football field.  There is ample room for everyone here and you should be able to move about freely.
• There will be a toilet trailer in the centre of the area, which should be easy to access for everybody.
• On the landward side of this enclosure, there is an exit gate marked by flags. Riders with race numbers 1-100 should gather close to the gate.
• Adjacent to the exit gate will be a PA system and there will be announcements / rider briefings given out over this.  Please do listen and make sure that you comply with any instructions, which will include practical details about the event procedures.
• If you do have a problem, please pass a message to the person who is operating the PA and we will try to find someone to help.
• Riders who expect to complete the course in sub-4 hours should gather close to the flag marked “4-Hours”, which will be close to the exit gate.  Similarly, there will be flags for 5-Hour, etc hopefuls.
• At approximately 9:40, top-100 riders will be called forward and will be allowed through the exit gate.
• It is a short ride (approximately 300m) along a track to the actual start. The timing mats will be positioned here.  Just beyond the mats will be a scaffolding arch.
• If you are a top 100 rider or junior please go direct to the start area.
• At approximately 9:50, sub-4-hour riders will be called forwards and should ride along the track, stopping just before the timing mats.
• At 10:00 precisely, the start claxon will be sounded and the top-100 riders will start through the arch.
• As soon as they are clear, the main field will start to filter across the timing mats.
• Please be patient as you cross the start line.  Everybody will get an individual start time but we may need to constrict the flow to keep the speed down to an acceptable level. If you go too fast, you may not record an individual start time.

Try to remember as you ride across the mats to keep whichever foot you have mounted your timing chip on closest to the mats.

Part of the plan is to reduce the volume of the mass start so that there is less congestion in the early part of the course.

TIMING ARRANGEMENTS

Checkpoint and final race times are all recorded electronically by Manx Timing Solutions. These Special End 2 End timing chips will be issued to you when you register for the event. Anybody who has Manx timing chips already are asked NOT to bring these and use those issued.

We will be using the same mat-based timing system as for the 2011 event. Tags will be issued at registration where they can be demonstrated / tested. These are half the size of a credit card and are attached to the riders shoe straps / laces.

The top-100 seeded riders (+ Youth riders) will all be given a fixed 10:00 start time whereas everybody else will be given an individual start time from the time they cross the start mat.  This will be a trickle-start and it is expected that the last rider will cross the start line at around 10:15.

At the St John’s checkpoint, there will be an archway and a timing mat, which will record your split time.  If you are stopping at John’s or have missed the cut-off time (14:00) then you must surrender your timing tag and will be credited with your split time at St John’s.

The finishing field is near the top of the hill at Cregneash where you will cross the final timing mat. Our marshals will then remove your timing tag and you will then receive an individual print-out as you pass through the timing tent - showing your start/split/finish times. Note: Please ride over the finish mats rather than stopping / collapsing ON them !

A live scoreboard screen will be in the marquee. This scrolls through the results.  Friends and supporters may also check on your progress (CP1 & Finish) online using a mobile phone / tablet / PC etc by using our individual results enquiry service. Please check-out the Manx Timing Solutions or E2E web sites for details on how to access this - there is also a QR code linking to this service printed on the rider briefing notes.

We will produce a full printed set of results to be displayed at the presentation - and on the Manx Timing Solutions results database - after the event. Any result queries should be raised with us at the finish - as we have to prepare these in time for the presentation, it is too late to raise a query once the presentation is underway!

If you should retire from the event at one of the other checkpoints (or elsewhere), please make sure to return your timing tag to one of the checkpoint marshals, to us at the presentation or by sending it to: Manx Timing Solutions, Thie Grianagh, Ballagorry Drive, Glen Mona, Maughold, Isle of Man, IM7 1HE. Anyone not returning their tags may be refused entry to future events!

Award bands are as follows:
Gold = Under 4 hours
Silver = Under 5 hours
Bronze = Under 6 hours

For the ladies, these times are +15 minutes.

Certificates will be mailed out to all finishers approximately a week after the event. Thanks to the Isle of Man Post Office Integrated Mailing Services for providing this service this year.

GATES AND PUBLIC LAND

Volunteers will be helping to marshal these so please thank them for holding them open for you as you pass. Where we have permission to leave a gate open for the event, these will be tied open with barrier tape. If gates are closed, please observe normal trail rules by either climbing over them or opening/closing them. If you find an open gate that is not tied open, please close it - this is important to retain good relationships with the many landowners whose property we pass over.

Please bear in mind that some sections of the course, as used on the event day itself, are actually private land. We are very lucky to have the co-operation of the Manx Farming community in letting us use these to add quality to the riding for the event. However, it is becoming an increasing problem in the run up to the event that both local and visiting riders are blatantly riding these sections. We are receiving valid complaints from the affected farmers, who will withdraw permission if this persists.

TRANSPORT

Coach transport for you and your bike from The Sea Terminal in Douglas to the start and back to Douglas from the finish is available for an additional fee of £13.  Please select transport option when filling in the online entry form.

For those who have already booked to use the bus and truck transport service, please arrive at the Lord Street, Bus Station car park (250m from the Sea Terminal) by 7:30 am. It will take some time to load the bikes onto the trucks, and they will be stacked herringbone style. Please bring with you any protective covers for your bike as the event cannot supply. Please pass your bikes up to the guys loading the trucks and help them where possible. It takes approx. 55 minutes to get to the Point of Ayre. The Bus and Coach will drop you off a short distance from the start to avoid congestion. When you have collected your bike, you should ride up to the start area.

Can you take stuff to the finish for me?
If you want us to transport equipment and clothing to the finish (advisable if we have poor weather) please put it in a labelled pack and bring this to the starters who will put it in a van and take it to the finish for you. Note that gear will be taken to the field where the timekeepers are. In the event that you don’t make it to the finish, we will bring any unclaimed articles to the evening presentation at the Villa Marina. It is not possible for us to transport equipment to intermediate checkpoints. You should carry everything that you will need en-route.

Return Transport
The transport will depart from Cregneash car park at 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00 and return you to Douglas Bus Station. We will also have a minibus as well to help get any stragglers home. Please help us to load your bikes back onto the truck. It takes about 45 minutes to get back to Douglas. Make sure that if your bike is loaded onto the truck, you leave on the accompanying coach! Due to the amount of riders requiring transport back, riders are advised to take the first available bus back after they finish.

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Here’s a short time lapse video showing the transport service we offer. For more information contact us.