Sir Mo Farah To Take On Great Manchester Run

To join Mo on the start line of the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run, visit greatrun.org/manchester

SIR Mo Farah will join tens of thousands of runners on the streets of Manchester as they take part in the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run next spring.  

Great Britain’s greatest ever athlete will race at Europe’s biggest 10K event on Sunday 20 May as he continues his transition from the track to the road.

Farah, 34, retired from stadium competition over the summer, after winning gold and silver at the World Athletics Championships in London to add to his four Olympic and five World Championship titles.

The Newham and Essex Beagle has competed in Manchester before – finishing third as a 24-year-old in 2007.

Farah said: “I can’t wait to take on the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run next year. It’s hard to believe that it has been more than ten years since I first raced there.

“It’s a fantastic course which has brought some of the best athletes in the world to Manchester. It’s a city that loves its sport and I’m looking forward to coming back.

“The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run is the biggest race in town and I will be making sure I’m in good shape for next May.”

The event is the only one of its kind that gives Mancunians and visitors from across the UK the opportunity to run along closed roads in the heart of the city centre, alongside world class athletes, well-known faces and inspirational amateur runners.

Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure, Councillor Luthfur Rahman, said: “Sir Mo has been an inspiration for millions and I know that Mancunians will be thrilled to have the chance to line up alongside him at next year's Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run. 

“I can't wait to take part, as the chance to run with Sir Mo is not to be missed – even though he might just beat me over 10K!

"This event is the biggest and best 10K in Europe and so naturally attracts some of the world's finest athletes, along with thousands of local people who are running to meet their own personal fitness goals.   I encourage as many residents as possible to get involved in this fantastic race."

James Glover, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Simplyhealth said: “Mo is an inspiration to all of the #millionsmoving.  We might not be elite athletes, but we all understand the amazing benefits that being active can bring to our everyday health.  Whether you run, jog or walk, your achievement is just as great.”

The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run was first staged as a legacy event following the Commonwealth Games, held in Manchester in 2002, and has grown to be the largest of its kind in Europe, with more than 300,000 finishers crossing the line in its 15-year history.

It is the United Kingdom’s third biggest mass-participation running event behind the Simplyhealth Great North Run and the London Marathon.

New for 2017 was a half marathon distance which will return for 2018, with entries open for both events.

The 10K and half marathon both start on Portland Street, the half marathon plots a course to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, before heading west to Manchester United’s Old Trafford, where it picks up the 10K route back into the city centre, finishing on Deansgate alongside the iconic Beetham Tower.

To join Mo on the start line of the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run, visit greatrun.org/manchester