History has been made following the 2024 Manchester Half Marathon as the annual event had a record-breaking year and reminded us yet again why we love it so much.
Started back in 2016, the Manchester Half isn’t even a decade in yet but it’s already one of the biggest dates on the Manc sporting calendar and draws in huge crowds every year; in fact, this year was the largest ever – at least in terms of runners anyway.
That’s right, this year’s Manchester Half Marathon saw a record 24,000 participants pound the pavement on Sunday, 13 October 2024 and even more spectators line the streets even on a chilly autumn day.
As well as the most runners in the history of the MCR Half, the 13.1-mile race also managed to raise a whopping £1.4 million (including Gift Aid) for charity. Incredible stuff.
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Be it for the official charity partners – Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK and The Christie – or other national and local organisations passionately picked by the participants themselves, they didn’t just give it their all out on the course, they made a huge difference too.
Even better still, as well as some famous faces taking part, the 2024 event also saw three new course records set by three incredible individuals.
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Sean Frame smashed the best-ever time in the Elite Wheelchair category, finishing in just 48:24; meanwhile, PUMA athletes Jack Rowe and Lucy Reid both ran personal bests of 1:02:12 and 01:09:13, respectively.
Unreal times and there were plenty more unreal people out there too.
5 people who blew us away at yesterday's #MCRHalf 🔥
Everyone took on the Manchester Half for a reason, and we couldn’t be prouder of the amazing stories we saw yesterday.
With an increase of approximately 45% more sign-ups this year, it’s safe to say that the 2024 Manchester Half Marathon was a bumper year for the race and we expect similar scenes in 2025.
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Andrew Smith, CEO of Manchester Half event organiser, Human Race, commented: “We’ve just delivered the largest half marathon Manchester has ever seen, and I couldn’t be prouder of everybody involved, including our amazing volunteers.
“I’ve spoken to as many finishers as possible, and the feedback has been amazing. It’s a massive credit to Trafford, and the whole of Greater Manchester, that people are travelling from all over the UK to experience this atmosphere.
“Over a million pounds for charity and rising is particularly special for me and the team, but all the credit for that must go to our incredible participants who have been training and fundraising for months. Today has set a very high bar for next year, but we’re already planning how we can top it.”
Well done to everyone who took part; we’re all super proud of you and we hope the legs have recovered by now. You can sign up for 2025 HERE – see you next year!
Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Featured Images — Manchester United (screenshot via YouTube)/Edward Kuruvilla (via X)
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Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Danny Jones -
16th October 2024 
