A Dad from West Didsbury ended up completing the Manchester Marathon in under five hours this past weekend after making a “stupid mistake”.
As mad as it may initially sound, Mat Wheelhouse hadn’t actually planned to run 26 miles when he arrived in Manchester city centre last Sunday clutching a bottle of water and hoping his AirPods wouldn’t run out of charge.
The 38-year-old was unprepared for the challenge he had ahead of him that day, and a big part of that was due to the fact he only had is name down to run half the distance.
Like many people across the globe, Mat had got himself hooked on running during the several COVID-19 lockdowns, and so he signed up for the Manchester Half Marathon with the idea of testing himself and raising worthy funds The Christie in memory of his late father.
But due to what he said was a “stupid mistake”, Mat realised that he’d missed the Half Marathon by hours, and had found himself in a queue full of runners preparing for the full marathon.
Mat said that although he was mortified by his error, he still wanted to keep his commitment to those that had sponsored him on his JustGiving page, so he went to the information centre to see if anything could be done and one of the volunteers then told him that the only option would be to upgrade to the full marathon – which she said she was happy to do for no extra fee.
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Here’s everything you need to know.
The Manchester Marathon and Half Marathon took place on Sunday 10 October / Credit: Manchester Marathon
Prior to the race day, Mat had only been running 5k-10k, with the furthest distance he’d ever run being just 17km.
But, with his determination to complete some sort of marathon, Mat decided to take on the challenge – and surprisingly, he managed to complete the 26.2 miles in an incredible four hours and 47 minutes.
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Mat explained that when he joined his mates on the tram, he noticed that they all had proper rucksacks full of drinks and snacks, while he just had a bottle of water, and it was only when he got into the queue that he realised that he was the only person with a Half Marathon sticker on his top.
“I thought something didn’t seem quite right,” he told the MEN.
“Then I started seeing streams of people coming in who had just finished the half marathon [and] I was so embarrassed because lots of people had sponsored me and I didn’t want to let them down, so I went to the information desk and told them what had happened.
“The woman said she could try and change my number and let me run in the marathon and then just dip out half way through – but I wanted to make sure I got the medal.
“I thought if I don’t finish I won’t get it, so I just decided to carry on running.”
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Mat managed to complete the 26.2-mile Manchester Marathon in an incredible four hours and 47 minutes / Credit: Manchester Marathon
While admitting that it was “very painful towards the end” and that the last five miles in particular were “incredibly hard”, Mat said that the Manchester public were amazing and that he’s never seen that amount of people out on the streets.
He comically added: “I think I might try and do a marathon again next year.
“But knowing me, I will probably end up signing up to the wrong thing and doing a triathlon or something.”
Albert’s Schloss is hosting a massive Y2K-inspired New Year’s Eve party
Danny Jones
Albert’s Schloss, home to some of Manchester’s biggest and wildest nights out, is hosting one massive blowout to celebrate New Year 2025.
Known for their big, Bavarian-themed events, live oompah bands, fantastic alpine food and drink, not to mention plenty of dancing on tables, the Peter Street favourite located just off Deansgate never does things in half measures.
In fact, the partying is beyond tried and tested, as plenty of Mancs plan to visit Albert’s Schloss for NYE annually, so it’s a good job they’re getting ahead this year, with tickets already on sale now.
They’re also no stranger to theme, and this time they’re looking to ring in the New Year by looking back at one of the biggest dates in modern memory: the turn of the Millennium.
Come curtains up, this is gonna be the biggest night of the year. (Credit: Press shot via Albert’s Schloss)
Yes, with the Y2K style back in vogue, be it the fashion, music, hairstyles and more, Manchester Albert’s Schloss is capitalising on the moment with a full-on revival that would put even the best of late ’90s/early noughties clubbing through its paces.
From 7pm onwards, guests can look forward to the usual Haus bands, DJs sets and all-star showtime cast delivering live music, dancing and pure, unfiltered joy.
As per an official press release, strap-in for a night full of “pop anthems, disco classics, and a few guilty pleasures as the haus transforms into a glitter-soaked time capsule of millennium madness.”
You have our attention – carry on…
With three other locations around the UK, including Birmingham, London and Liverpool’s Albert’s Shenke’s, we can vouch for Manchester’s very own being the best.
If the scenes from their Octoberfest celebrations are anything to go by, this event won’t disappoint and in-line with the rest of the festive period, bookings for their Christmas parties are also open.
Of course, guests are encouraged to embrace the theme; crop tops, cargo pants, bucket hats and double denim are all encouraged. As they put it, “Whether you’re channelling Britney, Bowie or the Backstreet Boys, this is your chance to party like it’s 1999.”
General Admission tickets start from £50 and include a glass of prosecco on arrival. Entry is from 7pm, with the last entry window closes by 10:30pm. This also a strictly 21+ only event.
There’s also a special Albert’s Schloss NYE set menu offer to, priced at £90 per person and including a glass of prosecco, canapés on arrival and midnight snacks to keep the party fuelled into the early hours.
Expect a three-course feast made up of a bier onion soup and beef carpaccio, sauerbraten beef short rib and roast chicken supreme, as well as a choice of milk chocolate mousse and vanilla crème brûlée.
Secure your place at one of the biggest parties while you still can – you can grab your tickets HERE.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Albert’s Schloss)
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A Queer Eye favourite is bringing his first-ever UK comedy tour here to Manchester
Danny Jones
A much-loved member of the Queer Eye cast is set to embark on his debut UK comedy tour and is bringing his live stand-up gig to Manchester crowds.
If you’ve ever seen the successful Netflix reboot of the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which aired its first season back in 2003, you’ll know that one of the biggest characters on the show is Jonathan Van Ness.
Known as the grooming expert on the series, Van Ness is just as popular a TV personality among fans as he is on the programme and in the entertainment industry itself.
He’s also got a pretty decent funny bone on him, too, and we’re glad to see he’s finally bringing his comic chops across the pond.
This is by no means the first time ‘JvN’ has leaned into the comedic side of his talents, having previously worked on the cult favourite digital web series Gay of Thrones, as well as his own Netflix documentary, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, which also has plenty of humour.
It’s also not his inaugural hour of stand-up either, as he released his maiden special, Fun & Slutty with Jonathan Van Ness, in his hometown of Austin, Texas, this past December.
Since then, he’s also started his own podcast called Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness – available via BBC Sounds – which also features a fair few jokes every week.
Put simply, the 38-year-old hairstylist and presenter is much more than that: he’s becoming an increasingly convincing jack of all trades, and we’re absolutely here for it.
You can hear the kind of material he last put out down below.
My first live comedy special is here! Mom worked so hard on this and is so excited to share her with you! You can watch her now on @Veeps: https://t.co/1i0vLvuT02 (on web, TV app, mobile, wherever!!) Plz share, watch w friends, tell your friends!! pic.twitter.com/b9n8PcmrfO
Speaking of his multi-talentedness, the Emmy-winning television personality, three-time New York Times best-selling author, podcaster, founder of JVN Hair AND now comedian might be one of the most prolific public figures on the planet at the moment.
He’s already sold out two critically acclaimed global tours, and with a whole new raft of European dates now announced, Jonathan’s UK and Ireland leg is sure to do the same.
Emily Sergeant -
13th October 2021 
