Marathons to help Paralympian 'change perceptions'

Richard Whitehead is set to run in the Isle of Man's only marathon

A double Paralympic champion taking on the Isle of Man's only marathon as part of a 20-race campaign said he hoped the feat would "showcase disability sport".

Sprinter Richard Whitehead will compete in the event on Sunday, which starts at 08:00 BST from Mooragh Park alongside the annual half-marathon.

First held in 1977, the marathon will see 127 people take on the 26.2-mile (42.2km) route and further 517 participate in the shorter 13.1 mile (21.1km) circuit ending at Ramsey Ballacloan Football Stadium.

Set to be the first athlete in the event's history running on blades, Whitehead said it gave him a "real opportunity to change people's perceptions of what can be possible".

This year, Whitehead is running 20 marathons to take his total up to 100

Nottingham-based runner, who is a double leg amputee, secured gold medals as a sprinter at the Paralympic Games in Rio and London.

Last year, he set the world record for the fastest marathon completed by an athlete with bilateral knee amputations in a time of two hours 41 minutes and 36 seconds.

The athlete is now attempting to run 20 marathons in 2025 to take his total up to 100 while raising awareness about making sport more inclusive.

He said he wanted to participate in races all over the world to "showcase disability sport and motivate people that anything is possible".

The event will be Whitehead's 93rd marathon, having completed the Victoria Falls race in Zimbabwe at the beginning of July, with his next race in Reykjavik Iceland later this month.

Having taken up running at the age of 28, he ran his first marathon on 2 November 2004 in New York, and is set to run his 100th on the same date back in the city.

Hundreds are set to take place in this year's events

"Sport has so many opportunities of enrichment, it is not just about participation, it is about the volunteering, spectating and administrating the events," Whitehead said.

"Small events such as this should be celebrated, supported and encouraged to grow to a level that really does embrace the community spirit," he continued.

There are about 25 nationalities represented among this year's entrants, including runners from the United States, Mexico and Germany.

Organised by the Isle of Man Veteran Athletics Club, the event takes place on open roads, with runners starting between 08:00 and 09:15.

Runners set off between 08:00 and 09:15 from Mooragh Park

Organiser Michael Deverau said there "were not many places where you get better scenery to complete a marathon" as the route goes from the coastline, to the hills, to country lanes.

He said while it was a "challenging" route, the event provided a "party atmosphere" with music playing as the runners complete the loop and crowds cheering them on at the end.

He said the popularity of running had increased in recent years, which he believed was down to the rise of online initiatives such as Couch to 5K, as well as the success of Manx athletes in competitions.

"With the recent Island Games, both the winners of the half-marathon, Christa Cain and Corin Leeming, were from the Isle of Man," he said.

With both athletes taking on the weekend's event there was a "good chance" that the race's records would be broken this year, he continued.

"It is a great achievement, a beautiful race and brilliant atmosphere," he added.