MEDIA GUIDE 19 MAY 2019 CONTENTS
Weekend Contacts / TV Times
Simplyhealth Junior and Mini Great Manchester Run
About the Events Timetable Course Maps
Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run
About the Event Timetable Celebrity Runners Human Interest Runners Course Map Press Release Roll of Honour
Notes to Editors Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run
Philippa Brock - 07921 582 509 - [email protected] Jen Tomlin - 07812 078 064 - [email protected]
Saturday 19 May
The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run is live on BBC TWO from 12:00 – 14:20. Highlights will be shown ON BBC TWO SIMPLYHEALTH GREAT MANCHESTER RUN SIMPLYHEALTH GREAT MANCHESTER RUN
About the events
With a 10k and a half marathon to choose from, the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run is a running event like no other. A celebration of everything that’s great about the city, the event is known for its buzzing atmosphere, incredible supporters and the booming Manchester an- thems that rock the city’s streets.
The 10k course goes past Old Trafford, the Imperial War Museum and the Lowry before heading back to the spectator packed finish line in the shadow of Beetham Tower on Deans- gate. Those taking on the half marathon will also run on Mancunian Way, a stretch of motorway usually closed to pedestrians.
The Simplyhealth Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run will take place on the same day, giving young runners and budding athletes the chance to experience the buzz and even share the same start line as their mums and dads. Young runners aged between three and 15 will take on two shorter distances of 2.5k and 1.5k.
Media facilities Your media pass will gain you access to the start and finish areas, located on Portland Street on the Oxford Road Junction and on Deansgate, near the Hilton Hotel.
Athlete interviews
All athletes will be available for interview post-race at finish line on Deansgate.
@great_run facebook.com/GreatManchesterRun @great_run EVENT DAY TIMETABLE
07:30 Information desk opens in Albert Square for pack collection and queries 08:15 Start area opens for half marathon 08:50 Warm-up starts (half marathon) 09:00 Start of the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run Half Marathon WAVE 1 09:10 Start of the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run Half Marathon WAVE 2
09.30 Simplyhealth Junior Great Manchester Run Assembly Open 09:50 Start of Simplyhealth Junior Great Manchester Run Boys (12-15) 09:52 Start of the Simplyhealth Junior Great Manchester Run Girls (12-15) 09:54 Start of Simplyhealth Junior Great Manchester Run Boys (9-11) 09:56 Start of the Simplyhealth Junior Great Manchester Run Girls (9-11) 10:30 Simplyhealth Mini Great Manchester Run Assembly Open 10:50 Start of Simplyhealth Mini Great Manchester Run (wave 1) 10:52 Start of Simplyhealth Mini Great Manchester Run (wave 2)
11:30 Baggage buses open for 10k 12:00 Start area opens for 10k Orange Wave
12:15 Start area opens for 10k White Wave 12:25 Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10k Elite Wheelchair start 12:40 Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10k Elite Women start 12:55 Warm-up starts (Orange and White Waves) 13:02 Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10k Elite Men & Fast Paced Club Runners and Orange Wave start 13:25 Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10k White Wave start Start area opens for Purple and Blue Waves 13:50 Warm-up starts (Purple and Blue Waves) 13:55 Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10k Purple Wave start 14:05 Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10k Blue Wave start /Start area opens for Green Wave 14:25 Warm-up starts (Green Wave) 14:30 Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10k Green Wave start CELEBRITY RUNNERS
Michael Carrick Roger Johnson Annabel Tiffin Former footballer now first team BBC North West Tonight BBC North West Tonight coach at Manchester United, presenter, running as part of presenter, running as part of running for The Michael Carrick The Diane Oxberry Trust The Diane Oxberry Trust Foundation
Andy Burnham Katie McGlynn Rob Mallard Mayor of Greater Sinead Tinker in Coronation Daniel Osbourne in Coronation Manchester, running 10k for Street. Running for Street. Running for homeless charities Mummy’s Star Mummy’s Star
Lemn Sissay Samia Longchambon Cherylee Houston Chancellor of Manchester Maria Connor in Coronation Izzy Armstrong in Coronation University Street. Running for Royal Street. Running for Triple C. Manchester Children’s Hospital CELEBRITY RUNNERS
Louis Dunn Andy Meyrick Toby Hadoke Plays Jamie in CBBC’s Jamie Professional British racing Actor and stand-up comedian. Johnson, running for Nurture UK driver.oyal Manchester Running for Triple C. Children’s Hospital
Sean Ruane Geoff Beattie Opera singer Television psychologist, Big Brother, Ghosthunting With…, The Farm of Fussy Eaters and author HUMAN INTEREST STORIES
The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run is a celebration of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Here are some of the Local Heroes taking part in this year’s event.
Lisa Roussos Aaron Parmar
Lisa is taking part in the Simplyhealth Great Former police officer turned firefighter Aaron Manchester Run in memory of her daughter Saffie has vowed to run 22 10k events this year in Roussos, who was the youngest victim of the 2017 memory of the 22 victims of the Manchester Manchester Arena Attack at just eight-years-old. Arena Attack.
Lisa was also severely injured in the blast, she was Aaron was working for Greater Manchester given a 20 per cent chance of survival and spent Police when he was called to the arena to six weeks in a coma in hospital. She suffered 116 help in the aftermath of the attack, which took shrapnel wounds and had to learn to walk and place following an Ariana Grande concert. write again. Determined to do something for the families of the victims, he has been running 10K Following two years of rehab and treatment, she events, dedicating each to a person who lost has decided to take on the 10k with a number of their life in the attack. physiotherapists who have helped her in her recovery. The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run will be his final run, dedicating it to eight-year-old Saffie Roussos who was the youngest victim. Aaron will take part in full fire apparatus as part of his challenge. He has more than doubled his initial £2,000 fundraising target already for the We Love Manchester Fund. HUMAN INTEREST STORIES
Claire Turner Diane Oxberry Trust
Claire was diagnosed with breast cancer a Family and friends of broadcaster Diane decade after she agreed to be a poster girl Oxberry - who died on January 10 of Ovar- in a campaign encouraging gay women to ian Cancer - are taking on the Simplyhealth check their breasts for lumps. Great Manchester Run to raise funds for the charity that has been set up in her name. In 2003, when she was Director of Manches- Among the team of 80 will be her husband ter EuroPride and Manchester Pride, Claire Ian Hindle who officially launched The Dianne was photographed in a spoof version of the Oxberry Trust. The charity has already raised early Wonderbra adverts as part of a lesbian £57,000 from a Just Giving page alone. breast cancer awareness campaign. The mission of the charity is to raise aware- After realising the impact the campaign was ness, funds and hope. Awareness is the having, Claire became conscious of check- charities number one priority, in the form of ing her breasts and in 2013, found a lump educating women about the symptoms of in which was an early form of Breast Cancer Ovarian Cancer. known as Stage 0.
Claire’s annual mammograms were clear for three years, but she had a nagging feeling that there was something wrong in the same breast. After attending an early scan, Claire was told she had Lobular Invasive Breast Cancer. She underwent a mastectomy and immediate reconstruction in January 2018. She will take on this year’s Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run for Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance.
HUMAN INTEREST STORIES
The Proud Trust Josh Landmann
12 supporters of the Proud Trust are taking Josh broke his neck having dived into a part in the 10k to raise money for the organ- swimming pool while on holiday in Spain in isation which manages the LGBT+ Centre in 2014 and was left paralysed from the chest Manchester. down.
The Proud Trust is aiming to raise £2.5m to Following surgery in Spain and after 2 and rebuild and expand the centre, which has a half weeks in hospital, he returned to the offered peer support groups to young people UK by air ambulance. He was informed by who are in need of guidance in the city for doctors there was a chance I may never walk the last 31 years. Among the runners is Ali again. Hanbury, LGBT+ Centre Manager, who is overseeing the rebuild project. Last year, she Josh’s recovery programme has been in- downloaded the Couch to 5k app and is now tense with weekly physiotherapy and strength trying to push herself towards her first ever and mobility training. 10k event. He uses crutches for walking and still con- There’ll also be a LGBT+ cheer point on the tinues to use his wheelchair on a daily basis, course, which will be positioned at mile 11.5 however this is far more than the doctors of the half marathon and 7.5 km in the 10k, is ever thought and he is at the point where his set to be an explosion of colour, with brand- mobility probably won’t improve any further. ed banners and flags, rainbows and balloon Determined to continue in sport, he has since stacks, celebrating the importance of the taken up triathlon events following participat- LGBT+ community in the city. ing in the Superheroes Triathlon series and it is his dream to compete the 2020 Paralym- pics in Tokyo. He is taking on the 10k in a racing wheelchair as part of his training. HUMAN INTEREST STORIES
Holley Tierney The Ivy Spinningfields
Holly ignored doctors’ advice to abort her A team of 43 runners from prestigious res- twin babies when she was diagnosed with taurant group The Ivy are set to take on the lymphoma is set to take on a 10k running Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run as part challenge for the charity that she says ‘saved of an exciting challenge set by the group’s her and her children’. operations director. Over 40 runners from a Holley was 23 weeks pregnant with twins number of the Ivy’s restaurants around the when she went to the hospital for a check UK will take part in the 10k event. after developing a sore arm in the summer of 2015. Half of the team are staff from The Ivy Spin- ningfields in Manchester, which opened last She was diagnosed with a high stage blood year and has just undergone a refurbishment cancer called lymphoma and was given poor of its roof garden restaurant. Among the odds of survival. She was told, to stand any participants is the company’s operations chance of living she would have to abort director Laura Bamber, who has set the team her babies and begin an intense treatment a special challenge. course straight away. But Holley had longed to be a mum for so The runner with the fastest 10k time will be long and decided to take the risk to continue awarded with an extra paid day off, with Lau- with her pregnancy. Every week as they grew ra taking of the reins of their shift for that day. stronger, Holly became weaker and at more risk of death.
She managed to reach 29 weeks before she gave birth via a c-section to Havana and Har- low. The premature twins battled for survival with Holley starting chemotherapy just days after giving birth.
She is running for Mummy’s Star who pro- vided her with the niche support and advice about dealing with a cancer diagnosis while pregnant. SIMPLYHEALTH GREAT MANCHESTER RUN - HALF MARATHON
Alan Turing Way A6010 5
Pottery Ln A6010 4
Pottery Ln
A6010 A6010
Ashton Old Rd
Alan Turing Way football ground Manchester City A662 6 Clif Bar Feed Station
Ashton New Rd Train Stations Mile Marker 3
1 Old Mill St St Mill Old
Chancellor Ln A665
Hyde Rd A57 Merrill St A662 St Merrill Water Station Shower
St A6
Downing 7 Oldham Rd A62 Rd Oldham
Oxford Rd B5117
Medical Point Runner shuttle bus to the finish
Rochdale Rd A664 Rd Rochdale Toilets
Piccadilly A57(M) Way Upper Brook St A34 Manchester Mancunian 2 Ring Road A665 KEY UNIVERSITY MANCHESTER MANCHESTER
MET UNI Portland St Portland MANCHESTER MANCHESTER
Cambridge St A5067 Cheetham Hill Rd A665 Rd Hill Cheetham Victoria START
Princess Rd A5103 Oxford Rd
Bury New Rd A56
Deansgate 8 A6042 FOR MORE DETAIL 1 13 SEE CITY CENTRE MAP SEE CITY FINISH
Mancunian
Way A57(M) Trinity Way Way Trinity
Chorlton Rd A5067 Rd Chorlton A6042
Blackfriars Rd A6041 Way Way
A5066
Trinity Trinity
Silk St Silk
Chapel St A6
Chester Rd A56 Rd Chester
A5066
Stretford Road A5067 Road Stretford
A5014 Oldfield Rd Oldfield
Regent Rd A57
A5066
Chester Rd Chester Ordsall Ln Ordsall 9
SALFORD Way A56 Way
12 Bridgewater Bridgewater UNIVERSITY OF UNIVERSITY Trafford Rd A5063 Rd Trafford
M602 10 QUAYS SALFORD 11 football ground Manchester United Museum Imperial War
Trafford Wharf Rd Media City SIMPLYHEALTH GREAT MANCHESTER RUN - 10K
Alan Turing Way A6010
Pottery Ln A6010
Pottery Ln
A6010 A6010
Ashton Old Rd
Alan Turing Way football ground Manchester City A662
Ashton New Rd Train Stations KM Marker
1 Old Mill St St Mill Old
Chancellor Ln A665
Hyde Rd A57 Merrill St A662 St Merrill Water Station Shower
St A6
Downing Oldham Rd A62 Rd Oldham
Oxford Rd B5117
Medical Point Runner shuttle bus to finish
Rochdale Rd A664 Rd Rochdale Toilets
Piccadilly A57(M) Way Upper Brook St A34 Manchester Mancunian Ring Road A665 KEY UNIVERSITY MANCHESTER MANCHESTER
MET UNI Portland St Portland MANCHESTER MANCHESTER
Cambridge St A5067 Cheetham Hill Rd A665 Rd Hill Cheetham Victoria START
Princess Rd A5103 Oxford Rd
Bury New Rd A56 Deansgate
1 A6042 FOR MORE DETAIL SEE CITY CENTRE MAP SEE CITY FINISH
Mancunian
Way A57(M) Trinity Way Way Trinity
Chorlton Rd A5067 Rd Chorlton A6042
Blackfriars Rd A6041 Way Way
A5066
Trinity Trinity
Silk St Silk
Chapel St A6 Chester Rd A56 Rd Chester
9
2
A5066
Stretford Road A5067 Road Stretford
A5014 Oldfield Rd Oldfield
Regent Rd A57
A5066
Chester Rd Chester Ordsall Ln Ordsall
SALFORD
Way A56 Way Bridgewater Bridgewater UNIVERSITY OF UNIVERSITY 8
3 Trafford Rd A5063 Rd Trafford 7 4
M602 QUAYS SALFORD 6 football ground Manchester United Museum Imperial War
Trafford Wharf Rd 5 Media City SIMPLYHEALTH JUNIOR & MINI GREAT MANCHESTER RUN
START & FINISH
Portland St
Oxford Street
Chepstow Street
Albion St
City Road East Chester Road
Great Jackson St.
Mancunian way
START & FINISH
Portland Street
Oxford Street
Chepstow Street
Albion St
City Road East START LIST - MEN’S
BIB # BIB NAME ATHLETE NAME COUNTRY BIOG INFO
1 KIPLIMO JACOB KIPLIMO UGA 26.41 PB. 2019 WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS SILVER MEDAL. 2 BIWOTT STANLEY BIWOTT KEN 28.00 PB. 2015 NYC MARATHON CHAMPION. 2ND PLACE 2016 LONDON MARATHON 3 ABADIA ANTONIO ABADIA ESP 2016 10000M EUROPEAN BRONZE. NATIONAL RECORD HOLDER 10KM 4 PEREZ JUAN PEREZ ESP 29.59 PB. NATIONAL RECORD HOLDER FOR 5KM ROAD RACE 5 FANIEL EYOB FANIEL ITA 28.45 PB 6 CHABOWSKI MARCIN CHABOWSKI POL 28.55 PB. 2018 NATIONAL 10k RUNNER-UP 7 ULAD ABDI ULAD DEN 28.57 PB 8 PUHAR ROK PUHAR SLO 30.33 PB. 5 X NATIONAL CHAMPION 9 OUHDA AHMED OUHDA ITA 29.31.00 10000M PB 10 GOOLAB NICK GOOLAB GBR 28.22 PB. 11 CAIRESS EMILE CAIRESS GBR 28.40 PB 12 MANNINEN HENRI MANNINEN FIN RAN 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MARATHON 13 HYTÖNEN TOMMI HYTÖNEN FIN 30.35 PB 14 THOMAS I EUAN THOMAS GBR 29.13 PB. 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES STEEPLECHASE FINAL 7TH 15 STUDLEY DAN STUDLEY GBR 29.15 PB 16 GHEBRESILASIE WEYNAY GHEBRESILASIE ERI 29.31.PB 17 GEZIMU DEJENE GEZIMU GBR 29.27 PB 18 GRAY JACK GRAY GBR 29.31 PB. 3RD ENGLISH 10K CHAMPIONSHIPS 19 MARTIN PATRICK MARTIN GBR 29.36 PB. 20 TEUTEN ALEX TEUTEN GBR 29.40 PB. 2017 BUCS XC CHAMPION 21 ALLEN RICHARD ALLEN GBR 29.45 PB 22 MCNALLY FINN MCNALLY GBR 29.46 PB 23 BLACKNEY KEVIN BLACKNEY CAN 29.48.57 PR for 10000m. 4 x Canadian National Medalist at 10,000m & 10K 24 HILL GAVIN HILL GBR 30.14 PB 25 RODRIGUEZ DIEGO JIMENEZ RODRIGUEZESP 30.16 PB 26 SELMAN DOUGIE SELMAN GBR 30.28 PB 28 SHEPHERD ED SHEPHERD GBR 30.46 PB 29 CAYTON MICHAEL CAYTON GBR 30.48 PB. Former British and English mountain running champion. 30 REVIER MATTHEW REVIER GBR 30.52 PB 31 TEWELDEBRHAN ABED TEWELDEBRHAN GBR 30.57 PB 32 KESTREL DAN KESTREL GBR 31.19 PB 33 STRANGEWAY WILLIAM STRANGEWAY GBR 31.16 PB 34 ROWLINSON CALLUM ROWLINSON GBR 31.36 PB 35 MONK JOSEPH MONK GBR 31.38 PB 36 REID CALLUM REID GBR 32.45 PB 37 O’MALLEY MAC O’MALLEY GBR 2ND FASTEST GB JUNIOR OVER HALF MARATHON 2019 38 ODDY CHRIS ODDY GBR 68.05 HM PB START LIST - WOMEN’S
BIB # BIB NAME ATHLETE NAME COUNTRY BIOG INFO
101 OBIRI HELEN OBIRI KEN DEBUT. 2017 WORLD 5000M CHAMPION. 2016 OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALLIST. 2019 WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPION AND 2012 WORLD INDOOR CHAMPION OVER 3000M 102 DIBABA GENZEBE DIBABA ETH 5 X WORLD INDOOR CHAMPION. 2016 OLYMPIC 1500M SILVER MEDALLIST. 4 X WR HOLDER 103 AGA RUTI AGA ETH 31.35 PB. 2019 TOKYO MARATHON CHAMPION. 104 KIPLAGAT EDNA KIPLAGAT KEN 2011 &2013 IAAF WORLD MARATHON CHAMPION. 105 DOSSENA SARA DOSSENA ITA 32.17 PB. 6th PLACE AT EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS MARATHON. 2018 NATIONAL 10K CHAMPION 106 KARNEYENKA KATSIARYNA KAMEYENKA BLS 32.45 PB. NATIONAL INDOOR 1500M & 3000M CHAMPION. 107 MCCORMACK FIONNUALA MCCORMACK IRL 32.23 PB. 2001 & 2012 EUROPEAN XC CHAMPION. 5 X NATIONAL CHAMPION 108 GOSK ANNA GOSK POL 32.56 PB. 7TH AT THE GREAT STIRLING XC 109 TWELL STEPH TWELL GBR 31.58 PB. 2016 EUROPEAN 5000M BRONZE MEDAL. 110 DIXON ALYSON DIXON GBR 32.17 PB. 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MARATHON 6TH PLACE 111 MACLENNAN MHAIRI MACLENNAN GBR 32.59 PB. 2019 BRITISH XC CHAMPIONSHIPS 3RD PLACE 112 NESBITT JENNY NESBIT GBR 33.10 PB. 2019 BRITISH XC CHAMPION 113 MURRAY REBECCA MURRAY GBR 33.19 PB 114 EVANS CLARA EVANS GBR 33.25 PB 115 FELTON RACHEL FELTON GBR 33.25 PB 116 HEYES LAUREN HEYES GBR 34.05 PB 117 O’DOHERTY SIOBHAN O’DOHERTY IRL 34.10 PB 118 LAVENDER ALISON LAVENDER GBR 34.43 PB 119 HARRIS SOPHIE HARRIS GBR 34.39 PB 120 MARIDAL HANNE MJØEN MARIDAL NOR 34.53 PB 121 CRICKMORE KELLY CRICKMORE GBR 35.24 PB 122 STONES OLIVIA STONES GBR 35.52 PB 123 ABBOTT LIZ ABBOTT GBR 35.53 PB 124 WANGLER NATALIE WANGLER GER 35.54 PB 125 CRONIN VICKI CRONIN GBR 36.36 PB 126 LOMBARD LAURA LOMBARD GBR 36.43 PR 127 BAGE TARA BAGE GBR 36.55 PB 128 SMITH ALICE SMITH GBR 37.07 PB 129 CLARK AMY CLARK GBR 37.27 PB. 130 BROWN HANNAH BROWN GBR 37.36 PB 131 SHARP KIRSTY SHARP GBR 38.05 PB 132 PARSONS CAROL PARSONS GBR 37.28 PB START LIST - WHEELCHAIR
BIB # BIB NAME ATHLETE NAME COUNTRY BIOG INFO
80 SMITH JOHNBOY SMITH GBR 2018 Commonwealth Marathon 2nd place. 22.40 PB 81 LAWSON SIMON LAWSON GBR 20.25 PB. 2018 COMMONWEALTH MARATHON BRONZE MEDAL 82 TELFORD MARK TELFORD GBR 22.00 PB 83 CROSSLEY BRET CROSSLEY GBR 23.15 PB 84 BOSCH TIAAN BOSCH RSA 24.25 PB 85 CLARKE MATTHEW CLARKE GBR 24.12 PB 86 NASH CHRIS NASH GBR 28.42 PB 87 SHEPHERD ANTON SHEPHERD GBR 30.41 PB 88 LLOYD PETER LLYOD GBR 180 MCTERNAN ELIZABETH MCTERNAN GBR 2018 Great Manchester Run Champion. 181 WOODS SHELLY WOODS GBR 23.28 PB. PRESS RELEASE
30,000 DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THE CITY PROUD AT THE SIMPLYHEALTH GREAT MANCHESTER RUN 2019
The City of Manchester will once again provide the stage for 30,000 runners taking on the 18th staging of the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run on Sunday 19 May.
This incredible day of sport - the third largest running event in the country, after the Simplyhealth Great North Run and the Virgin London Marathon - will kick off with the Simplyhealth Junior and Mini Great Man- chester Run as well as the adult’s half marathon and 10k distances.
To celebrate this year’s event, the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run has worked with runners and well- known Manchester faces to create a film showcasing the inspirational poem, Do Something. Written by the much-loved Mancunian poet Tony Walsh, specifically for Manchester’s most loved running event.
The line ‘Do something to make a city proud’ is reflected in the incredible stories of runners taking on the 10k, half marathon and children’s events this Sunday.
A team of 80 family, friends and BBC colleagues of the much loved local broadcaster Dianne Oxberry - who died on January 10 of Ovarian Cancer - are taking on the Run to raise funds for the charity that has been set up in her name. The team is led by Dianne’s husband Ian Hindle. The charity has already raised an incredible £57,000 from a Just Giving page alone. The mission of the charity is to raise awareness, funds and hope. Awareness is the charities number one priority, in the form of educating women about the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer.
Celebrities including Coronation Street stars Katie McGlynn and Rob Mallard, raising funds for Mummy’s Star as the charity’s new patrons and Manchester United coach and former player Michael Carrick, fund- raising for his own foundation, will also join the masses.
In the women’s race, Hellen Obiri of Kenya, will face a very competitive field when she takes on her compatriot Edna Kipligat and the Ethiopian Ruta Aga. Obiri was crowned world Cross Country Champion earlier this year and is also the 2016 Olympic silver medallist over the 5K, this will be her first time in Man- chester. The British contingent will be headed up by Steph Twell, who won the Brighton 10K last month, she is joined by Ali Dixon, Mhari Maclennan and Jenny Nesbitt.
Ugandan world cross medallist Jacob Kiplimo is the fastest in the Men’s field with a personal best of 26:41 over the distance. Kiplimo will be facing 2015 NYC Marathon champion Stanley Biwott of Kenya, who also took 2nd place at the 2016 London Marathon and Spain’s Antonio Abadia the 2016 10000m European bronze medallist and national record holder.
British athlete Nick Goolab will be representing the UK, hoping to put in a strong performance after break- ing the course record in at the Brighton 10K in a time of 28:22.
The wheelchair races will feature Johnboy Smith, Simon Lawson, Mark Telford and Shelly Woods. Runners will be entertained by more on course entertainment than ever before, with 29 bands, DJs and cheering points all along a route that takes them past Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, towards Salford Quays before turning back towards the city centre and the finish line on Deansgate. Those taking on the half marathon distance will also run on Mancunian Way, a stretch of motorway usually closed to pedestrians.
New for 2019, is a high energy music zone, supported by the legendary Hacienda, designed to give runners a much-needed boost just as the finish comes into view. The on course activation will feature a playlist by the New Order and Joy Division co-founder Peter Hook, a massive sound system, disco lights and even a smoke machine.
Participants will also experience a true Manchester party as the event has partnered with the Proud Trust to create an LGBT+ cheer point, complete with a DJ, colourful balloon towers and supporters. The LGBT+ cheer point is set to be an explosion of colour, with branded banners and flags, rainbows and balloon stacks. The zone will feature a team of 20 volunteers from the Proud Trust, with DJ Zoe McVeigh, who will be playing loud, LGBT+ music to motivate runners on their challenge. A team of 12 runners from the Proud Trust will also take on the 10k as part of the charity’s aim to raise £2m to rebuilt the city’s LGBT+ centre.
Bambos Neophytou, Brand Director at title partner Simplyhealth, said: “We’re delighted to be back in the great city of Manchester where we will be supporting runners every step of the way.
“We will be capturing a massive photograph of everyone on the start line of the half marathon and 10k waves, which runners can view on Simplyhealth.co.uk/Manchester from next Wednesday.
Then we’re providing a PT led-stretch and cool down, together with a free massage to runners to help them avoid injury and aid recovery after their run.
“Finally, we have an amazing new ‘Rate my Gait’ experience located in Spinningfields, where runners and supporters can get an analysis of their running form, which includes a unique video, and see how they compare to elite athletes.”
Some of the city’s most loved institutions will be represented on the start line with 3,000 staff students and alumni representing the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University and 650 NHS staff representing the Manchester University Foundation Trust will take part in distinctive NHS blue t-shirts.
Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure, Councillor Luthfur Rahman, said: “The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run is always a highlight in our sporting calendar - even for a city with such a packed schedule of major events - as it gives opportunities for people of all ages and abilities the chance to do something really special. “We’re excited to be hosting this hugely popular event once again and really proud of everyone who is getting set to take part.”
The Simplyhealth Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run will take place on the same day, giving young runners and budding athletes the chance to experience the buzz and even share the same start line as their mums and dads. Young runners aged between three and 15 will take on two shorter distances of 2.5k and 1.5k. Among the young runners are sisters Evana and Erica Parkinson. Erica is a young carer for her sister who has a rare condition that causes delays to her development. The two have raised almost £4,000 for a local charity Blessings in Disguise by taking on running events.
Erica runs ahead ahead to get her time and then makes sure she runs back to join Evana and help her over the finish line.
Joining them will be Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run regular Ella Chadwick, who dedicates her time raising thousands of pounds for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity, despite suffering from a rare disease which causes kidney failure and mobility issues.
The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run will be shown live on BBC 2 12:00 -14:20 on Sunday 19 May. NOTES TO EDITORS
The Great Run Company
As the UK’s original running events series, we know a thing or two about motivation. Over the last three decades we’ve realised it doesn’t matter why people run or how far they go - the one thing every runner has in common is that moment of triumph when they cross the line. We want everyone to experience that feeling, so we’ll do whatever we can to help our customers achieve their goal and be their greatest.
Starting with the very first Great North Run in 1981, our events have always been a celebration of what makes our locations great. The Great Run Series now sees 230,000 participants a year taking part. The events programme stretches across the UK from Aberdeen to Portsmouth offering a full range of dis- tances from 5k through to the half marathon. Great Run Local is a series of weekly events staged in our key cities. All designed to provide the support and advice for participants of all abilities to achieve their personal goal.
To find out more about the events and services provided by Great Run and its partners visit www.gre- atrun.org.
About Simplyhealth
Since our creation in 1872, we have existed to help people get the healthcare they need when they need it. We do this by developing products and services to help customers manage their health; by recognis- ing how we can meet unmet healthcare needs in the long term through our charitable activities; and by responding to public policy developments in the nation’s health landscape to promote good, sustainable health outcomes for the many across local communities. We are the leading provider of health plans, dental plans and pet health plans, and we support individuals and health professionals directly as well as working with thousands of employers to help them support the health and wellbeing of their workforces.
In 2018 we donated £900,000 to our charity partners, with our Simplyhealth Great Run Series partnership raising an additional £42.6 million. Our official charity partner for the 2019 Great Run Series is Diabetes UK. We strongly believe that movement and activity is the cornerstone to better health and we’ll be sup- porting runners every step of the way on their Simplyhealth Great Run journey.
Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
For further information, please visit: www.simplyhealth.co.uk