Greater Manchester Marathon

The Manchester Marathon is a long-distance running event in Greater Manchester, England. It was known as the Greater Manchester Marathon until the word "Greater" was dropped beginning with the (cancelled) 2020 edition of the race. The most recent marathon was held on 7 April 2019, and finished at Old Trafford Cricket Ground. The race was first held in 2012.Greater Manchester Marathon – Race History
/ref> It is claimed that the race is the flattest marathon course in the UK, with only of elevation.Greater Manchester Marathon website – general information
/ref> The 2013, 2014 and 2015 Greater Manchester Marathon times have been declared invalid after the course was found to be 380m too short.

History

The first marathon in the Manchester area was run in 1908 and started and finished at the Saracen's Head pub in Warburton, although at this point the run was only. The first marathon to be run over 26 miles and 385 yards was the race in 1909, it started in Sandbach, Cheshire and finished at the Fallowfield Stadium in Manchester. A marathon has been run along various routes in the Manchester area intermittently throughout the years with various start and finish points. Until 2012, the last marathon to be held in the city was in 2002, with the 10 km Great Manchester Run superseding it as the major running event in Manchester.BBC News , First marathon set for Manchester in a decade
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The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all entries automatically remaining valid for 2021, and all registrants given the options of transferring their entry to another runner for a 10 GBP fee or obtaining a refund minus a 5 GBP administration fee.

Similarly, the 2021 edition of the race, originally scheduled for April, was postponed to due to the pandemic.

Course

The current course finishes at Old Trafford cricket ground and passes a number of famous Manchester landmarks including the Old Trafford football ground. It works its way through Chorlton, Hulme, Old Trafford, Stretford, Sale, Timperley, Altrincham, Urmston, Salford, and Manchester City Centre.

The 2013, 2014 and 2015 route was subsequently found to be short of the correct distance.

From 2020, the route will change to allow the inclusion of a three-mile loop through the city centre.

Invalid races

The 2013, 2014 and 2015 Greater Manchester Marathon times have been declared invalid after the course was found to be 380m too short in 2016. UK Athletics will not recognise times from those races. The error was corrected in time for 2016 marathon. The Association of UK Course Measurers (AUKCM) said an accredited measurer had ridden the course in 2013 but indicated there had been an error in the calibration of the bicycle wheel. Marathon courses are measured out using a bicycle fitted with a counter to calculate distance by the turning of the wheels.

Winners

Key:
: Course record

Prizes

Prizes of equal value are awarded to men and women as follows:Greater Manchester Marathon – Elite entries
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* 1st prize £750 cash
* 2nd prize £500 cash
* 3rd prize £250 cash
* 4th prize £200 cash
* 5th prize £150 cash
* 6th prize £140 cash
* 7th prize £130 cash
* 8th prize £120 cash
* 9th prize £110 cash
* 10th prize £100 cash

Time bonuses are also awarded for men running under 2 hours 20 minutes and women running under 2 hours 30 minutes and ASICS vouchers are awarded to the fastest man and woman in each age group.

See also

* List of marathon races in Europe

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greater Manchester Marathon
Marathons in the United Kingdom
Sport in Greater Manchester