Latest news with #GreatManchesterRun
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Burndeners return ‘Supersonic' times in Mancunian sunshine
The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run brings tens of thousands to running in what is described as 'the original and best-loved running event' for its start to finish Mancunian party vibes - and Burnden Road Runners were heavily involved on the day. Centrally located in the city, the half-marathon and 10K races take runners around the city's iconic landmarks including the two football stadiums of Old Trafford and the Etihad. Burnden's performances were 'Supersonic' in the home of Oasis. Ravi Patel was in double figures - with not one but two medals round his neck as he paced friends in both distances to 1hr 59mins 25secs in the half and 59:10 in the 10K. Andrew Horrocks completed 13.1 miles in an astonishing 1:22:21, and following minutes later was Gary Avison in a speedy 1:30:59. Martin Whitehead sped up his time by a super seven minutes this year - finishing the half as third Burnden male with a PB of 1:39:32. Gayle Gerrard was first Burnden lady home from the half in 1:46:02 and Lisa Berry led the 10K ladies home in an impressive 1:01:52. Other results: Half-marathon - Emma Smith 1:53:48, Laura Thornley 1:56:36, Steven Walsh 1:59:10, Kimberley Lowe 1:59:25, Peter Wood 2:24:43, Julie Morrison 2:31:00, David Morrison 2:31:00; 10K - Carol Richardson 1:04:54, Sarah Jane Wells 1:18:49. The weather blessed another successful outing to the seaside, where 11 Burnden members completed what is one of the flattest, fastest and friendly sprint events in the North West of England, which includes a 400m pool swim, a 20km bike leg on closed roads along the prom area and a 5k run heading towards Lytham and back. The St Annes Sprint Triathlon is an inclusive event starting from the leisure centre on a picturesque beach-front location in the centre of St Annes. The organisers put on three non-adult races as well as the full adult event. First in for the club was Lyall Mew, coming back from injury with with an 11th overall position and times of 8:48 swim, 36:47 bike and 22:10 run giving him an overall time including transitions of 1:11:07. He was closely followed by Martin Fielding (8:29 swim, 37:48 bike and 23:21 run) finishing in 1:12:25. Third place went to Tri captain Mike Caine (8:01 swim, 38:24 bike and 23:52 run) totalling 1:13:07, while first in the female category was Marie Parkinson in 1:27:38 (9:01/48:30/26:58). Other results: Gareth Doherty 1:13:14 (9:13/39:36/21:58), Keith Thomas 1:22:59 (8:13/44:41/26:53), Simon Entwistle 1:28:12 (10:05/42:17/30:07), Kath Berry 1:34:01 (11:01/48:33/29:50), Steve Holt 1:40:26 (15:32/50:49/30:51), Jo Fielding 1:42:06 (10:34/50:25/36:08), Ged Turner 1:42:48 (14:45/46:42/38:22). The Marlands - Simon an d Sue - ticked a race off their bucket list last weekend as they headed to the North East to complete the Pier to Pier 7-mile race. Starting on the beach at South Shields, it is a tough course with sandy terrain for a mile or so before heading up the coastline on a mix of trail paths. It then hits the promenade and returns back via the beach to Roker Pier, Sunderland. Simon crossed the line in 53:52 and Sue finished in 1:23:21. Andy Horrocks deserves some credit this week as he takes a well-deserved rest after hitting four major events in just four weeks and gaining a double set of PBs. After achieving a sub-three hour time in the Manchester Marathon at the end of April, then 3:06:00 at Leeds Marathon, he recorded a PB at Manchester Half last weekend and completed Horwich Triathlon, Horrocks deserves to hang up his trainers. Meanwhile, Steve Walton was off to Wales again to conquer the Snowdonia Half Marathon and smash some PBs on the way. Walton collected great records all around the course and beat last year's time by five minutes. Conquering Conwy's challenge with courage, he scaled the summit in 1:59:13.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Cancer patient with six months to live finishes third Great Manchester Run
A cancer patient who was given six months to live in 2021 has completed her third Great Manchester Summers thought "she would never be able to do a 10k again" after she was diagnosed with incurable spine and lung cancer since 2021."Every time I go across that line, I just think, 'that's another year I've been here'," Ms Summers 61-year-old said she hoped her story would encourage others who faced serious illness not to give up. She said: "Every finish line is borrowed time. It keeps me alive, physically and mentally," she said."Even if you're told the worst, never say never." Ms Summers, from Fallowfield, has been taking part in the Great Manchester Run since shortly after completing the race in 2021 she began suffering back pain which turned out to be a spinal tumour – a secondary cancer from a primary tumour in her lung. Doctors told Ms Summers that she might never walk again and gave her a prognosis of just six to 18 months. However, after beginning intensive chemotherapy, she began walking short distances with the help of Nordic hiking poles. "It was freezing, it was painful, but it gave me something to work towards," she said. "Walking every day gave me a sense of purpose again and helped relieve the pain." Believing she was too ill to take part in the 2022 run, Ms Summers' daughter Josie rallied friends and family to take part in her mum's by their support, Ms Summers made the decision to join them herself at the last minute – and has taken part every year more than 30-strong, their running group raises funds for cancer charity Maggie's, which supported Ms Summers and her family as they navigated her diagnosis. Ms Summers has undergone 36 rounds of chemotherapy and still attends scans every three months. The tumours are stable, allowing her to remain off chemotherapy for the past 12 said she walked every day and trained for each 10K event with the same determination that got her through treatment, using her sticks for support."I can't run anymore, the pain's too much, but I can still walk. I take painkillers, I lean on my poles, and I get it done," she said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gemma Atkinson ‘struggles' through race – but raises £17,000 for East Lancs charity
Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez took part in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday (May 18), raising thousands for an Edenfield charity. Gemma, a former Hollyoaks actress from Bury, took part in the 10K run with fiancé Gorka. The radio presenter struggled but managed to complete the run. At the time of writing, her efforts have helped raise more than £17,000 for Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary. Gemma, who is ambassador and president of the animal sanctuary, said: 'We are just home. Hand on heart, I cannot thank you all enough. You have made more than [£17,000] for Bleakholt. Last year we raised £10,000 so in my head I wanted to get more than that. Gemma Atkinson with a cat (Image: Bleakholt) 'Gorka loved it – I hated it. It wasn't fun, there was nothing fun about it. I didn't enjoy the run. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the day, the people. 'If you did it and you're not a runner, well done. It is tough and I struggled.' The money will go towards Bleakholt's Project Purrfect, which is a £300,000 renovation and extension of its cattery which will help more neglected and abandoned cats in the region. The extension will allow the sanctuary to house at least another 100 cats while also improving the welfare of the cats they look after. Sanctuary manager Karen Weed said: "We are blown away by the money Gemma and Gorka have raised for our Project Purrfect. "We are so thankful to them for doing the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run for us and for everyone who sponsored them. "This is a massive boost as we begin Project Purrfect this year, which is a £300,000 renovation and extension of our cattery which will help more neglected and abandoned cats in the north-west. "Only this weekend we had five large kittens left in a plastic box on site. Every penny Gemma and Gorka raised will go straight to Project Purrfect."
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Manchester half marathon run in cricket kit in dad's memory
A woman has taken part in the Great Manchester Run half marathon in cricket kit in memory of her father and his love of the Bayliss has so far raised more than £2,600 for St Michael's Hospice in Hereford, after it supported her father, Bromyard Cricket Club stalwart Jeff died last year, just months after being diagnosed with cancer and his daughter said she would run with a bat wearing whites, pads, gloves and a helmet if she raised £2, after the run on Sunday, she said: "I just kept thinking about my dad the whole way really. I know he'd think I was nuts doing this." Ms Bayliss joked that she had to "wear all this cricket gear so I could give [Olympic 800m champion] Keely Hodgkinson a chance".She told the BBC she was "alright for the first few miles, the crowd really pushed me through", but the weight and awkwardness of the kit took its toll. "All the people running around me were just saying 'wow, I don't know how you're doing this'," she said."At about 10 miles I rang my mum because I was really struggling, so she came and met me and practically dragged me through the last few miles."I crossed the line and thought 'thank god that's over'." Posting on fundraising site JustGiving, Ms Bayliss said the hospice "looked after us so well" and "even let Dad's best friend, Dusty the dog, come in and cheer him up". She also wrote that in her father's last few weeks, "we spent a wonderful time in the hospice, taking walks around the beautiful gardens and spending some quality time with him"."Now I'd like to give a small bit back to the hospice, so they can continue to make times like ours, that little bit less hard," she said."Dad was a cherished friend, coach, and strong pillar of guidance in so many people's lives, and I am thankful to be able to do this in his honour." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
'I finished the Great Manchester Run, and that's when I realised. I burst into tears'
A woman who took part in the Great Manchester Run 'burst into tears' after the major feat. But they were not tears of joy and elation, but rather complete devastation after reaching into her pocket. Laura Carr, 35, from Liverpool, completed the 10k run on Manchester's Deansgate on Sunday afternoon (May 18) and was due to celebrate the huge achievement with her friends. Before the marathon, she took off her 22 karat gold wedding ring and put it in her tied pocket, along with her engagement ring, because her 'fingers swell' when she runs. READ MORE: Man United transfer masterstroke pays off as Marcus Rashford updates emerge READ MORE: Urgent police CCTV appeal over 'deeply concerning' incidents on Metrolink trams Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE But as she crossed the finish line, she noticed the sentimental antique band had disappeared and fallen out of the pocket at some point during the race. The ring was brought over by her partner Andrew's grandfather from New York in World War II. He had been serving in the merchant navy when he brought the distinctive gold ring back to UK soil for his wife. It is a second devastating blow for the couple, after the same ring was stolen and subject to a police investigation in Merseyside just days before their wedding in 2016. They previously spoke to the Liverpool ECHO after the ring was robbed from a drawer at Andrew's mum's house before luckily being returned to them. Laura told the Manchester Evening News: "I finished the marathon and went into my pocket and realised it wasn't there and must've fallen out. I started crying straight away. I'm devastated. "I took it off and put it in the pocket with my engagement ring because sometimes by fingers swell when I run. As soon as I finished, I went to put it back on and only my engagement ring was there. "It got stolen ten days before our wedding nine years ago, but we were hopeful then and it was returned all those years ago. So we are holding out a little bit of hope." Andrew said his grandmother's ring is antique and a rare 22 karat gold band with 'distinctive marks' on the inside. "We are distraught," he said. "I was doing housework at home when Laura rang me saying she'd lost the ring. My grandad bought it when he was in the merchant navy in New York. "She was gutted and didn't really know how to tell me and was crying the second she realised it had gone. "We know it's such a big race and such a big city, but if anyone does find it I have registered it with Greater Manchester Police. It was returned to us in the past, so that's what we are hoping for." Around 35,000 people were thought to have taken part in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday. The event, which saw people take part in either a 10K or half-marathon, took place across Greater Manchester with the route heading through the likes of Salford, Trafford, Eastlands and the city centre.
