New Manchester Half Marathon Reaches Capacity
Entries remain open for the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10K, to enter, visit greatrun.org/Manchester
THE INAUGURAL Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run half marathon has reached capacity with three months to go until the event takes place.
Organisers The Great Run Company added a half marathon to the established Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10K which has grown to be the largest in Europe.
And the new 13.1mile event, which takes place on the same day as the 10k, on Sunday 28 May 2017, will see 8,500 runners take to the streets of central Manchester.
Starting on Portland Street, the half marathon plots a course to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium – along the Mancunian Way – before heading west to Manchester United’s Old Trafford, following the 10K route back into the city centre, finishing on Deansgate alongside the iconic Beetham Tower.
It is the latest development in the illustrious history of the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run, now in its 15th year.
The 10K was first staged in 2003 as a legacy event following the Commonwealth Games, held in Manchester the previous year.
Arguably the greatest ever male distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie, has won in Manchester five times, with the 6.2mile course also being graced by triple Olympic champions Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele, along with Wilson Kipsang and Great Britain’s Jo Pavey, who has won the event twice.
The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run has also seen millions of pounds raised for a host of charities, including the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and The Christie, with thousands of runners raising money and awareness for good causes every year.
The Great Run Company CEO Mark Hollinshead said: “We’re delighted to reach capacity on the first-ever half marathon at the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run. There’s clearly a demand for a world-class half marathon in the city centre at this time of year.
“We’re looking forward to similar success with the 10k as we celebrate the 15th year in Manchester.
“It promises to be another great weekend of running for the city.”
Entries remain open for the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10K, to enter, visit greatrun.org/Manchester
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