Greater Manchester Marathon

The Greater Manchester Marathon is a long-distance running event in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The most recent marathon was held on 10 April 2016, which started and finished at Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground. The course takes in Old Trafford football stadium and the Imperial War Museum North. 2015 saw the fourth marathon to have been run in the area since 2002 (the first being in 2012).[1]

It is claimed that the race is the flattest marathon course in the UK, with only 54 metres (177 ft) of elevation.[2] 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 20 miles (32 km) only. The first marathon to be run over 26 miles and 385 yards was the race in 1909, it started in Sandbach 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.[1] 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.[3]

Route

The current course starts and finishes at Old Trafford cricket ground and passes a number of famous Manchester landmarks including the Old Trafford football ground.[3][4] It works its way through Trafford Park, Stretford, Sale, Timperley, Altrincham and Urmston.[5]

The 2013, 2014 and 2015 route was subsequently found to be 380 metres (420 yd) short of the correct distance.[6][7]

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.[8]

Results

Race winners in 2015 were Paul Martelletti (2:17:47) and Georgie Bruinvels (2:37:21 new record). The winner of the 2014 Greater Manchester Marathon was Andi Jones, with a time of 2:16:59.[9] The fastest woman in 2014 was Emily Wicks (2:38:26).[9] The 2013 race was won by Dave Norman in a time of 2:20:19.[10] The fastest woman in 2013 was Issy Menzies (2:42:24).[10]

Edition Year Date Time (h:m:s) Men's winner Time (h:m:s) Women's winner
5 2016 Apr 10 2:22:34  Steven Bayton (GBR) 2:48:04  Kelly Crickmore (GBR)
4 2015 Apr 19 2:17:47 Paul Martelletti 2:37:21 Georgie Bruinvels
3 2014 Apr 6 2:16:59 Andi Jones 2:38:26 Emily Wicks
2 2013 Apr 28 2:20:19 Dave Norman [11] 2:42:24 Issy Menzies
1 2012 Apr 29 2:24:50 Dave Norman [11] 3:05:26 Rebecca Johnson [12]

Prizes

Prizes of equal value are awarded to men and women as follows:[13]

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

References

  1. 1 2 Greater Manchester Marathon - Race History
  2. ↑ Greater Manchester Marathon website - general information
  3. 1 2 BBC News | First marathon set for Manchester in a decade
  4. ↑ Greater Manchester Marathon - General Information
  5. ↑ Greater Manchester Marathon - Route Map
  6. ↑ "Greater Manchester Marathon course was 380m short, says measuring body". BBC Sport. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Holland, Phil (18 April 2016). "Investigations into course length of Manchester Marathon 2013-2015". Association of UK Course Measurers. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  8. ↑
  9. 1 2 Greater Manchester Marathon - 2014 results
  10. 1 2 Greater Manchester Marathon - 2013 results
  11. 1 2 Dave Norman profile at Power of 10
  12. ↑ Rebecca Johnson profile at Power of 10
  13. ↑ Greater Manchester Marathon - Elite entries
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