A week post race it’s great to reflect on an event that brings the Manx Fell running community and beyond together so well. The excitement had been building for this race for a while and this was enhanced by the fact that many of the UK’s top Ultra runners from races like the Spine and the Dragon’s Back were coming over to see what all the fuss was about. The Manx Mountain Marathon is a classic fell race dating back many years with Ultra running legends like Wendy Dodd, Jackie Lee and Lloyd Taggert being some of the many names who have made their way North to South as fast as they can.

This was a big year for the female athletes. Nikki Arthur and Amber Carridge both took an incredible chunk of time off of their personal bests. Nikki taking off 20 minutes from 5:40:47 in 2021 to 5:21:20 this year. Amber taking even more off - running 6:02:13 in 2024 to 5:34:02 this year. Both placed within the top ten with Nikki in 4th and Amber in 6th place.

Tom Felton Smith has the biggest honours though winning in an incredible 5:06:04 which is a massive 1 hour 35 minute pb from when he ran it back in 2023 in 6:40:01.

Orran Smith came in 2nd in 5:09 which is ten minutes out from his pb.

In the half Alan Corlett set a new course record in 1:42:26. Nick Colburn pb’d by nearly 4 minutes came in second in 1:48:34 and Harry Weatherill rounded off the podium in 3rd position in a time of 1:54:49.

Alice Forster also set a big pb to win the women’s half manx mountain marathon after an early battle with two girls from Eryri Harriers. She won in 2:06:36 placing 7th overall.

But that wasn’t all - the whole team did absolutely fantastic. The ESTR crew really did blow me away that day - people completing it for the first time - or getting another finish on their record , loads of huge PB’s and people were just buzzing coming over the line. Orran chatted to every single person at the finish I think. Phenomenal.

So privileged to play a tiny part in this amazing team achieving their goals. Massive thanks to MFR, the MMM committee, the Marshalls and the civil defence for pulling together another amazing Manx Mountain Marathon and Half marathon 2025.

Some incredible results 🙌🏻💫 link at the bottom for full results

🥈 Orran Smith 2nd

🏅Nikki Arthur 4th / 1st female Huge PB

🥈Amber Carridge 6th / 2nd lady HUGE PB

🙌🏻Max Saleh 7th - first time and a sub 6 hour run

🙌🏻 Mark Teare 11th - Big PB first Sub 6 hour

💫 Neil Brogan 16th - Another finish under the belt

🤩 Chris Hancox 38th - PB

🤩 Mike Guelpa 59th - PB

🤩 Guy Wood 79th - first time PB

🙌🏻 Katie Lawrence - 14th lady - huge PB

💫 Hazel Dawson - 16th lady - huge PB

🙌🏻 Mick Lee - 119th First time PB and - Furthest race ever

Half Manx Mountain Marathon:

🥇 Alice Forster 7th/ 1st lady - PB

🏅💫Janette Gledhill 53rd/ 1st V60

Nikki’s Race Report:

I was delighted to be invited to speak with Jack Scott InoV8 runner, Spine race course record holder and Orran on the Friday Night before the race. We were chatting all things Ultra running, The Spine and Jack’s story of over coming gambling addiction. It was a fantastic experience and one I would draw upon when times got hard on Easter Saturday….which they really did! Unfortunately Jack didn’t get to race the MMM this year which was originally the plan - he has a big 255 miler in the states ahead of him. He had a great training block and decided the race was just a little to close to the USA race Cocodona 250 so came over for talk and headed home again.

I am never very good pre race - I really am on the very brink of being too nervous before races - calling upon both Spine races in which I have cried into some sort of pastry or baked good the day before the race but when the race starts I just relax and go with it. It was the same when I boxing - I couldn’t wait for that first bell to go and it was like a massive black cloud just lifted.

I knew it would be a fast race this year given the talent both from the UK and local runners . I had to remind myself regularly to run within my own limits. Especially in the first half. Not long after the start I was running with the group and noticed Orran’s map was about to pop out his bag - I had to do a 100m sprint to catch up with him to take it out and put it somewhere else - cant have him getting DQ’d due to a kit issue. I drop right back and get a bit of recovery before ascending North Barrule.

Robyn Cassidy whom I raced with in the Spine was one of the participants this year and she climbed North Barrule so strongly. I had to hold back noticing my heart rate was pretty high - I was in a good group with team mates Amber, Mark and Max and also Richard Curphy. We are having a bit of chat …but I am pushing to keep with them. I am thinking to myself - I definitely don’t feel like chatting ahaha.

Once we get on the ridge we settle but I kick a rock really hard and fall over - Amber helps me up. It doesn’t feel too bad but I know I’m saying good bye to that toenail at some point. We catch up to Gary Kelly and then start to ascend Snaefell with Robyn now back in our sights. We all reach the bottom of Snaefell together and Sarah is at the bottom with a gel and Soreen!

I run along to Beinn Phott with Robyn and we have a chat about her upcoming races and spine recovery before she pulls away from again climbing BP. We descend on the track and Mark and Amber cut across the fell and we end up at the bottom of Carraghan all together. We ascend Carraghan and the wind was just unreal up there - I am frantically trying to get my hood up to protect my eyes and face. Once we reach the top - we start to descend - Amber exclaims “Oh I hate descending this!” Not long after I deck it and roll down the hill a little bit! Amber pulls into Ingebrek just ahead of me and Robyn must be a little behind.

We start to ascend Colden with Louis Morris - I have recced a bunch of ways up Colden but decided to go left with Amber and Louis. I felt I was getting a bit of recovery post descending carraghan so I got some fuel in me and once I got to the gully on Colden - I took the lead - we all got to the top pretty much together but then that was the last I would see of the group. I felt really good heading to Greeba and made sure I was running to my absolute best. I had a lot of motivation for the next checkpoint as I knew I would see Lisa Motely and her crew. Lisa very recently lost her lovely husband and big supporter of the Manx Fell Runners, Phil. I couldn’t wait to give her a hug - I knew however hard it was for me today, it would be much harder for her marshalling the race without her rock Motters for the first time. I turned at the Greeba checkpoint and was surprised I couldn’t see many people and that I had bit of a gap - I head down the gorse descent of doom to the road - which wasn’t quite as doom like previous years as it went a bit of a different route. Although I would hear after the race that a lot of people missed a flag and had epic battles with the gorse in question.

I see Lisa - give her a massive hug and shoot off to the railway line. I notice another runner on in the field - wonder who that is. As I approach I see he is carrying a map and once I reach him I notice it is Shane Oly the creator of Dragon’s back - we have a little chat but I know I have to push here to maintain whatever lead I have managed to gain.

I check my watch after I’ve left St johns and see 3:03 ….wow that’s fast - hope my legs don’t fall off in the second half - Slieu Whallan was so tough though and I could see Shane gaining on me again - I tried to eat but I am retching and heaving as I ascend- going to have to stick with gels even though I feel hungry and now thirsty too - I get to the top and See Joey and he gives a big cheer - I am delighted to see him but I’m not feeling great - he just said “get the legs going you will be fine”

It’s a slog to the top but I get there -the farm seems to go on forever until I reach the road. Jane is at the CP and gives me some words of encouragement. When I see Sarah she knows I’m not great but appears with melon and coke - amazing. I get some down me as I start to ascend South Barrule trying to run as much as I can. As I leave Sarah tries to perk me up by telling me I am only 10 minutes away from Orran but that confuses me and I hope that Orran isn’t having a bad race. He wasn’t, I was just having a good race but that never occurred to me! As I climb SB Tom Hughes meets me on the way but I wasn’t one for conversation at that point ahahaha sorry for me. I turn back and can still see Shane but I have more of a lead now.

Things are feeling really tough now and I want to walk so much heading to Cronk Ny Laa but I keep referring back to something Jack Scott had said the night before “ what can you get away with?” So I kept running I kept repeating my mantra and start to push again. I cant see anyone ahead of me or behind me now. I am so thirsty and desperately want something other than a gel but it just wasn’t happening. I take some coke on at one point from Sarah and literally spit it everywhere, all over me and Sarah- ahhhh sorry for me!!

I know after the Sloc that’s it - no Sarah until the finish so here we go. I’m still running hard but everything is hurting the descent into Fleshwick was painful but we all know the other side is tougher. Thankfully I had done a couple of training reps on Fleshwick with the group recently - I was trying to keep with Amber and Alice that night and that felt sooo hard - so even though this was tough mentally it seemed like it was over quickly. My body didn’t enjoy it though and once I got to the very top I started to heave and retch again. My eyes were watering really badly but I pushed on as I just wanted it to be over. I hadn’t looked at my watch for a bit but I knew I was likely to PB. However as I headed to Bradda and saw my watch I was blown away - I normally absolutely nail it down to Bradda but I was really on the brink of the wheels falling off so I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted to.

BOOM - over the line - 20 minute PB. I cried and Sarah cries too. Sarah had a rough week after very recently losing her lovely Nan. The fact she even came out to support never mind come to the finish is testament to her character. We usually headed to Audrey’s for a post MMM shower and we couldn’t do that this year. I know Audrey made sure I got to that line safely.

I see Orran and the boys not realising that they hadn’t long come over the line themselves and Sarah says - “Do you know you were 4th!?” Pardon…

I am buzzing and Orran was second it wasn’t a PB but not far off it as he returns to the MMM post leg break in 2024. Proud.

Congratulations to Tom Felton Smith for taking the Honours and to Simon Roberts who was in 3rd. Shane comes in not too much longer as I am waiting at the finish line for Amber with her crew. She flies in and exclaims that her watch was wrong. She’s emotional too showing just how much this race means to us all. Shortly after Robyn comes in and we have a big hug - she is absolutely buzzing and enjoyed the race so much. Slowly but surely people start to trickle over the line including team mates Mark and Max. I then start to get cold and scuttle off into Bradda head for a change of clothes and some very VERY sugary tea.

MMM 2025 done and dusted.

📸 Peter Bradley