Next year’s Manx Rally is moving from its traditional May date to a month earlier for 2025.

For the first time, the event will take place in April and run on 11 and 12 of that month.

Organisers Manx Auto Sport say this is at the behest of the Isle of Man Government to slot the rally into a crowded events calendar in the island.

Once again, the rally will cover around 130 stage miles, starting at midday on Friday, running through into evening and then featuring a full day of special stages on Saturday.

The Friday afternoon leg will take in around 25 stage miles, including the popular double run of the Pooil Vaaish stage near Port St Mary.

Following an afternoon break, the action resumes with five further stages into the darkness of Friday evening.

This leg will cover around 36 stage miles, including a 16-mile stage in the St Mark's area, before finishing with a fresh take on the Abbeylands stage.

Saturday opens with a new version of the well-known Glen Roy stage as the route heads to the north of the island before a classic 12.6 mile stage over Druidale and down the Baldwins.

This loop of 33 competitive miles will be repeated before the finish and champagne spraying at the TT Grandstand in Douglas.

Work in partnership with the Department of Infrastructure to plan the event and relevant road closures is moving ahead smoothly after the Chris Kelly Memorial Stages planned for September was cancelled after MAS didn’t gain consent from the DoI to run the annual event because of a wrangle over safety documentation.

Event director Mark Ellison said: ‘We are pleased to unveil early provisional details of our route. We are working on this well in advance of the rally, and we look forward to offering another epic Manx Rally for our welcome visitors.’