Bid to win three legged record back from Japan

A MASS three-legged race involving up to 1,000 competing pairs is planned for Bank Holiday Monday on May 6 in a bid to smash the current world record, currently held by the Japanese.

The Guinness Book of World Records monitored race was won by the Isle of Man in 2009 with 468 pairs, breaking the then existing record of 346 by 122 pairs. However in 2011 Japanese students set a new world record with 502 pairs.

This ambitious attempt to bring the record back to the island will take place at the Onchan end of Douglas beach with the race being run over 200 metres and everyone taking part having to run if the record is to be broken.

The race is once again being organised by employees at Barclays Wealth and Investment Management and will be part of a Bank Holiday ‘Family Fun Day’ with events taking place on Douglas Promenade and beach throughout the day, culminating in the world record breaking attempt for the three-legged race.

Simon Scott, managing director of Barclays Wealth and Investment Management, said: ‘There is only one group of people who should hold the record for this race – the people of the Isle of Man – and we need to bring the record home again.

‘We are really pleased that Barclays’ employees are supporting this fun event. In recent years we have supported various local initiatives but the three-legged World Record presents a great opportunity for us to engage with the wider Isle of Man community.’

Lawrence Looney, Barclays’ head of operations in the island, said: ‘We want 2,000 people to join us in the family focused excitement of a race which is inter-generational. This is a huge community effort open to all to help beat the existing record.’

Mr Looney stressed it would not be just a single race session but a Family Fun Day from 11am to 5pm. ‘We want to see this become an annual festival so we can not only win back but keep the record in the island.’

Chris Pycroft, assistant chief officer with Douglas Development Partnership, said: ‘Two thousand people all having fun together on Douglas beach highlights the fact we have this wonderful space on the beach and Promenade and if we can use it to win back a world record that should rightly belong to the Isle of Man, that’s even better.’

Registration can be made on the website www.threelegs.im and is £5, the money raised going to charity.

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