Evening Harriers,
With London and Manchester Marathons being on the same day due to Easter, a small number of Deckchairs made their way up to the northwest of England to compete in the Manchester Marathon 2025.
Manchester is famously known for its rich industrial history, especially as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. It’s also renowned for its vibrant music scene, particularly its contribution to genres like indie and alternative rock. Football, with its two prominent clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City.
It’s considered a flat and PB-friendly course that passed through various areas of Greater Manchester, including Stretford, Sale, Altrincham, Hulme, and other areas finishing on Oxford Road outside Manchester University.
The marathon started near Old Trafford football stadium, where there was a bag drop and toilet facilities before a short walk to the start line. There were 16 waves starting between 09:00 – 11:30 with plenty of water stations and Portaloos on route. At the finish line, runners received their medal, finishers t-shirt (or not if you were a Green runner) and refuled on a HIGH5 Recovery Protein Bar, Erdinger Alkholfre and VITA COCO Coconut Water.
Elite Marathon Results
Male Winner: Josh Griffiths (Swansea Harriers) – 02:16:56
Female Winner: Tessa Mccormick (Vale Royal AC) – 02:34:53
Marathon Results
Male Winner: Jake Guest (City of Stoke AC) – 02:25:47
Female Winner: Claire Frankland (West End Runners) – 02:47:50
Keith Mitchell – 02:59:08 (POS 790), marathon PB, and 53rd male Harrier to break 3 hours
Alex Holmes – 03:12:40 (POS 1661) and marathon PB
Sarah Cronin (running 1st claim for TAC) – 03:17:13 (POS 2035) and marathon PB
Steve Bolton – 03:34:55 (POS 4129) and marathon PB
Jim Atkins – 03:35:16 (POS 4173) and marathon PB
Mark Godsalve 03:40:48 (POS 4903) and marathon PB
Fran Dungey – 04:58:49 (POS 17431)
A kudos to all Harriers who completed the Manchester marathon in the warm conditions.
The event was well organised, and thank you to all the marshals, volunteers, and supporters, you were truly amazing.
Mark Godsalve
