The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run offers 10K and Half Marathon options, and is part of the Great Run series. Biggleswade Athletic Club member, Andy Hedley, took the trip north to join friends and run the 10K race. Here is Andy's review, enjoy reading:
This was my second Great Manchester Run – part of the Great Run series. Some of my friends live in greater Manchester and Liz, one of them, persuaded me to enter last year. Think of it as the London Marathon, but on a smaller, and friendlier scale, but with the same level of organisation and great local support. As before there were 3 of us running this time, and unlike last year, we were all in the Green Pen/Wave this time (last year I was there on my own, the three girls starting in the wave behind me). Last year was extremely hot, much to the detriment of my friend Liz’s finish time. Although she’s an experienced runner (twice running the Paris Marathon) being a partner in a big legal firm meant her running had defiantly taken a back seat in recent years. However, this time she was out to banish her demons and had employed a personal trainer (semi-pro footballer Erion) to get her finish time back under the hour mark. Although Erion didn’t run before he met Liz, he too got the bug and decided to enter the 10k with us.
My weekend started out with the local Parkrun on the Saturday morning (just like last year) and, even after countless beers with my friends on the Friday night, I managed a respectable time there, easily beating the previous year. But, had I gone too fast?? Only time would tell…
Although Saturday was sunny and warm we all received ominous text messages from the Great Run warning of thunderstorms and consistent rain on race day.. We woke to grey skies but no rain. We walked to the tram station, the platform dotted with runners. When the tram arrived there were already runners onboard and we all soon got talking (it not being London). There are two races, a half marathon and the 10k – which starts afterwards, hence our late 12.02 start time. We met with Erion in St Peters Square and walked round to the start pen in good time for assembly and the 11.28 warm-up. It rained a bit and we sheltered under some scaffolding – however, it soon stopped and was in fact dry during the run, the sun coming out by the end. By now helicopters were buzzing overhead and the numerous cameras’ scanned the packed street – the race was being transmitted live on TV and on local radio. The huge Green Wave slowly walked down the street towards the start after the official warm-up, encouraged by various energetic people on the PA. By the time we crossed the start line it was at least 12.15.
(Photo: Liz, Erion, Andy and Helen)
It’s a closed street, urban, out and back run which is mainly flat, so has the potential to be fast.. The route heads out towards the Manchester United/Old Trafford stadium passing impressive new, and very tall, skyscrapers before going round a big loop and coming back on itself into the city centre to finish on Deansgate. The whole route is lined with people cheering everyone on and opened top busses with charity supporters. Every few hundred yards there seems to be a DJ blasting out tunes or a band, a choir, or some drummers. On the loop before coming back there are a couple of drag-queens that I remembered from the year before shouting out ‘encouragement’ and blasting out cheesy 70’s tunes. The atmosphere and support is fantastic. Crossing the finish line goodie bag collection is slick too – you get a quality medal, great shirt and snacks all in a tote bag.
I easily made my way back to meet up with our supporters in a nearby square – Dave loaded up with our bags. Once the girls and Erion came back in I went off for a well-deserved beer with one of my mates in the nearby Brewdog bar while Liz and Helen went off to watch Liz’s daughter and her friends finish – they were in the pink wave which started well after us at 1.00.
We all managed to smash last year’s times (except Liz’s daughter who hadn’t done any training – but did manage to run the whole way this time…). I was extremely happy with my 51:44 (last year 55:53) Liz and Erion got 56:59 (which was a bit better than they’d hoped for) and Helen crept under the hour with a 59:24) – both Liz and Helen were over the hour last year. So, everyone was happy. Next year’s race clashes with Dave’s son’s 30th birthday, provided he doesn’t want a big family celebration, we all want to sign up again.
The date for next year’s Great Manchester Run is Sunday 18th May and, hopefully, we’ll all be there to try for an even faster time! It’s a brilliant event that I thoroughly recommend.