First held as a sporting challenge between two men in the last century, it was revived in its present form in the 1960's. It is a walking race that is open to competitors of all standards, and an event that generates a tremendous social atmosphere. Note: to take part you must be aged 18 or older (21 or older to continue past German). To complete the course you have to walk 85 miles, calling in at each and every one of the Island's 17 parish churches and touching either its door or its gate (apart from Braddan for safety reasons, and German, where the Town Hall is used instead).
The record for the course is 14hrs 40mins 08secs set in 2015 by Richard Gerrard and with over 1,600 competitors starting the event in 2012 that is also a record for entries. The event has folklore status and a new book "THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE" by Dermot O'Toole highlighting the history and challenges that competitors have overcome during event is well worth a read.
The start of the race is on the running track at the National Sports Centre in Douglas and the finish line is at the War Memorial on Douglas Promenade opposite the Villa Marina Arcade. There is a 24 hour time limit to complete the course (with appropriate cut-off times along the way based on a 3-5 mph schedule). It takes place on the nearest Saturday to Midsummer's day and starts at 8.00am. The event is organised each year by the Manx Harriers and sponsored by Manx Telcom (see www.parishwalk.com for more details).
Braddan Parish is about 6 miles long and 2 miles wide and includes the Douglas suburbs of Anagh Coar, Ballaughton and Farmhill, as well as the villages of Union Mills and Kewaigue, within a rural area stretching from the coast at Douglas Head to Mount Rule. The northern end of the parish is mountainous whereas the southern end is flatter. The Middle River runs through the parish in the Kewaigue/Oakhill area where the original Fairy Bridge can be found.
The ancient parish of Braddan was larger, and included much of the urban area of Douglas, as well as the remote East and West Baldwin valleys. It comprised the Douglas parishes of St George's, St Barnabas' (now merged with St George's), St Matthew's, and parts of St Thomas' and St Ninian's, which were established in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Baldwin area, including the chapel of St Luke's, was transferred to the parish of Marown in 1978.
In this series, the caches are hidden near to each of the 17 parish churches, on (or just slightly off) the route of the walk's course. Please bring your own pen/pencil as some of the containers are too small to accommodate writing equipment.
This cache can be found near the Parish Church of Braddan on the Heritage Trail, just under 2 miles along the TT course from its start/finish line.
Parking is available on the TT Access Road at the bottom of River Vale off Braddan Road. Please replace the cache exactly as found, and as usual, WATCH OUT FOR MUGGLES!
Happy caching!