‘Manchester is known for its great atmosphere, and there is always a great spirit here when it comes to the marathon’
It’s a 26.2 mile route that was filled with immense highs, jubilant moments, aching bodies and even a few personal bests.
Heading from Old Trafford into the new finish line on Oxford Road in the city centre, every single one of the more than 36,000 participants that ran the Manchester Marathon today (April 27) had a reason, a story or a person that motivated them to make it to the end.
It was Josh Griffiths who passed the finish line first – with an incredible feat of two 2:16:56. The first female finisher of the Manchester Marathon was Tessa McCormick with a time of 02:34:53.
For Annette Taylor, her reasons for taking part in the Manchester Marathon are deeply personal with the huge event forming just one part of a wider goal. Dressed in an orange tutu, Annette said: “This was marathon number two for me, I did Paris two weeks ago.
“I will be doing the Leeds Marathon in two weeks time and then I have another three – Chester, Yorkshire and Athens – later this year in memory of my dad, David Duff. He passed away from Myloma in November 2023 and he suffered with the disease for six years, so I’m doing a marathon for every year he suffered to raise money for Myloma UK.”
Asked how it felt to have passed the finish line with a time of 5:05:18, Annette said: “It feels amazing, I’m so emotional, I want to cry. At 21 miles, a song came on my playlist that I associate very strongly with my dad – Daddy’s Little Girl – and I just burst into tears. I just knew that was my dad giving me the push.”
30-year-old Charlotte Whistlecroft, from Bolton, also took part in memory of someone close to her – in honour of friend David Knowles, who died suddenly in September from a heart attack at the age of 32.
Dressed head-to-toe in full cricket gear, including her very own bat and helmet to boot, Charlotte was unmissable from the sea of running bodies as she began her route just after 11am.
“I wanted to do something to honour David, who was just a huge, huge cricket fan and it just felt like the right thing to do,” Charlotte said ahead of taking to the start line. “He was just such a special person so it just felt like I needed to go as big as I possibly could for him.
“David and I met at University and we’ve lived together, worked together and performed together for eleven years since. He was so smart and so well-read, he knew so many things and was just so enthusiastic about anything.
“He was just so, so joyful and inquisitive. Since he died, that’s what I’ve tried to be more like. He could always see what would go right and I’ve been trying to be more like David in this training.”
Charlotte, who took part in the London Marathon last year and the Manchester Marathon in 2022, had already signed up to take part in this year’s marathon before David’s sudden death, but said it felt right to honour him and raise funds for the British Heart Foundation this time round.
“When I had this spot, I was originally going to go for a personal best, but that’s not what I want to do it for anymore,” she explained. “This is my chance to honour David and do it for him. He always pushed himself, and it was only right that I pushed myself too – all whilst wearing my cricket whites.”
Speaking of what David would make of her outfit of choice, Charlotte said: “I think he would love it. I think he would be impressed. I’m technically in sportswear, so is it really that crazy? Batman is quite a hard uniform to wear whereas cricket gear in the sun perhaps isn’t too wild.
“You just never think a heart attack would happen to someone so young, so raising awareness and helping raise funds for the British Heart Foundation has been so important to me. If it can help other people and families, then that is what I’m here to do.”
Charlotte, in full cricket whites, completed the route in 5:55:23. And whilst not everyone has chosen to wear their cricket gear, there are others who have dressed up for the occasion – including a few tutus, Scooby-Doo’s and even a Mr Bean.
Over on the start line, amongst the sea of spectators cheering on participants as they began the gruelling route was Amelia Dance, who was cheering on her friend Finn Moffatt by bringing a sign showcasing a Twitter post he had made 11 years ago at the age of 11 by declaring himself a ‘runner-holic’.
“He doesn’t even know that I’ve printed this out,” Amelia said on Chester Road. “He’s just obsessed with running and I said he’s got to prove it now by taking part in the Manchester Marathon. This sign is to just push him along the way even more so.” Finn went on to complete the race with an impressive 03:45:06.
Also taking part in the Marathon this year is 28-year-old Jake Baxter, who lives in Salford. Having survived homelessness and a number of mental health struggles, he said he is taking part in the Manchester Marathon to show himself how far he has come as a person.
“I’ve been brought up to think of myself as a bit of a background character that doesn’t amount to anything, but taking part in the Manchester Marathon is the next thing in line to prove to myself that I am capable of achieving anything I want to,” Jake said. “It’s also a bit of a middle finger up to those who told me I wouldn’t amount to anything.”
Having completed the Manchester Half Marathon last year, Jake immediately signed up to this year’s 26.2 route as part of a ‘progressive overload’ of achievements he wants to accomplish.
Diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) with traits of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Jake said he also wants to combat stigmas. “There’s an attitude where we are thought to be aggressive, callous or people who are unable to feel any emotions, but let me tell you now, I am probably one of the most emotional people you’ll ever meet,” he explains.
“Thankfully, we’re starting to move away from some of those stigmas, but I want to show that you don’t need to follow suit. I have a choice and an ability to do good things and inspire others. I want people to realise that they don’t have to follow a specific path just because that’s what society makes them feel they need to.”
Jake said through his marathon training, he has begun to see a more positive outlook on himself and added that he felt the ‘great atmosphere’ of the city would just help to further spur him on.
“Manchester is known for its great atmosphere, and there is always a great spirit here when it comes to the marathon,” he explained. “There’s just a real community spirit. It’s beautiful.”
Speaking at the finish line with a time of 4:41:37, Jake said: “It was fantastic to take part and it’s the biggest challenge I’ve ever achieved in my life. I’m a bit disappointed that I’ve not been able to accomplish it in my targeted time but I know I’m capable of it.”
Jake said he had hoped to make it to the end with a time of three hours and 45 minutes or less, but said his body gave into cramps towards the end of the route. “I was on track for my goal until the cramp took me out,” he explained. “I’m sad that I didn’t achieve my goal but it’s been great to take part in such a historic day.”
For a historic day, which has seen a combination of more than 90,000 people take part alongside the London Marathon today, there is a real sense of community and cities coming together whether it’s through cheering on friends and family members or shouting out the names of strangers with words of encouragement, or simply just turning up in the sweltering heat, it’s an example of humanity at its best.
