Youngsters are being encouraged to take part in the Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run in just a couple of weeks time.
The iconic Great Manchester Run will take place on Sunday 22 May, and is set to see tens of thousands of runners from across the region and beyond take to the city’s streets for either a 10k race or a half marathon – but it’s not just the grown-ups that are being encouraged to challenge themselves either, as budding athletes can also get in on the action too.
Returning to The Etihad on Saturday 21 May, the Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run is giving little Mancs the chance to lace up their running shoes and join in.
The Mini run is for dinky dashers aged three-eight over a 1.5k course, while the 2.5k Junior event is for those aged nine-15.
“By popular demand, the Junior and Mini event has moved back to Saturday as a standalone event, meaning that families can make a day of it at the Etihad and care givers still have the chance to take part in the 10K or Half Marathon events on Sunday, explains” Event Manager Sharon Angel.
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“It’s never too early to give your kids a taste of that big-event buzz and inspire a lifelong love of being active.”
Youngsters are being encouraged to take part in the 2022 Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run / Credit: Great Manchester Run
She also added there will be “lots to see and do for the whole family.”
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With athletics superstars Sir Mo Farah and Eilish McColgan performing official starters duties for the around 1,500 runners expected to take part in the event in just a few weeks time, young people are also being encouraged to “embrace” the city’s worker bee emblem by taking a massive bee themed fancy dress competition on the day.
Some of the youngsters already signed-up to take part in this year’s event will be running for a number of really worthy causes.
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Five-year-old Lola Monks from Tottington in Bury will be running for the neonatal unit at Royal Bolton Hospital, as she spent 244 days there after being born 11 weeks premature, and she is now ready to try and give back to those who “helped her survive”.
Lola’s mum Gemma said it’s “a small token of appreciation” and thanks for a debt that can never be truly repaid, and they know the nurses and doctors who cared for Lola would be thrilled and amazed to see her do something like this.
The Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run is returning to The Etihad on Saturday 21 May 2022 / Credit: Great Manchester Run
It’s not just the grown-ups who have the chance to challenge themselves / Credit: Great Manchester Run
Similarly, eight-year-old Alexander Grey from Sale will be running to raise awareness of children just like him who are born with Prader-Willi Syndrome – a complex rare genetic disorder caused by a chromosomal abnormality that results in problems including constant urges to eat, restricted growth, learning difficulties, and decreased muscle tone – and he is hoping to raise money for the Prader-Willi Association UK.
Read more: Water pistols, DJs and an apres-run zone added to Great Manchester Run for 2022
“Alexander has many challenges in his life which he has to overcome on every day basis,” Mum Pavlina explains.
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“One of the biggest challenges is the food obsession, as his brain constantly tells him that he feels hungry, and his muscle tone is very poor which makes it very hard for him to exercise and keep up.”
Around 1,500 young people are expected to take part in the event in just a few weeks time / Credit: Great Manchester Run
Fancy it then? There’s still plenty of time to be a part of what is set to be a fun day out for all the family at the Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run.
You can find more information, and stick your little one’s name down here.
Featured Image – Great Manchester Run
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Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
Daisy Jackson
Autotrader has teamed up with SpudBros, the UK’s viral jacket potato trader, to open the first jacket potato drive-thru in Manchester.
The UK’s largest automotive marketplace is working with the SpudBros duo on the new Autotater drive-thru, where the duo will be handing out free jacket spuds – and which can also value your car in less than 10 seconds.
You’ll be able to visit the one-of-a-kind drive-thru for one day only next month, picking up a baked potato from an exclusive menu that includes the Autotater (a twist on a classic loaded spud) and the Curry In A Hurry (SpudBros’ signature garlic chicken curry).
You’ll also be able to tune into the Spud FM radio with SpudBros co-founders Jacob and Harley. Autotrader and SpudBros have teamed up for the drive-thru experience off the back of new research that has shown 44% of UK drivers have no idea what their car is actually worth.
The same research has also revealed that half of those surveyed are unsure how to determine the value of their car.
So now Mancs will be able to have their car instantly valued in less than 10 seconds, by Autotrader’s award-winning valuation service*, simply by visiting the Autotater drive-thru on 12 February.
Autotrader will be dishing out free valuations, to help ensure car owners don’t get small potatoes for their car and are empowered to choose when it’s the right time to sell.
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
This will be the first drive-thru for SpudBros, a brand which grew a traditional jacket potato van into a national sensation, finding viral fame on TikTok.
With a cult following of more than 4.8m people on TikTok and Instagram, the pair are now bringing their trademark energy offline for a drive-thru window with free spuds.
Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Autotrader said: “We know no one loves admin, which is why we want to make it easier and quicker for people to find out the true value of their car, in under 10 seconds.
“There’s something fun about that moment of surprise when you finally see what your car is really worth. Once you have that information, you can decide what to do next – whether that’s selling, upgrading or simply showing off to your mates.”
Jacob and Harley Nelson, the founders of SpudBros commented: “This is a big one for us. We’ve fed people across the country and even internationally, and Manchester is one of our most requested visits, so this is a really exciting opportunity.
“We love doing things that get people talking, and we also love cars, so teaming up with fellow Northern brand Autotrader lets us serve up something new that we feel passionately about – a free spud, a car valuation, and telling the story through social media.”
The Autotrader drive-thru will open in Manchester on 12 February, at Depot Mayfield. Tickets will be available through a draw on the Autotrader website for a limited time only.
To be in with a chance to get on the guestlist and for more details on the event, head HERE, and to join the millions who value their car free with Autotrader, visit HERE.
You can also follow @autotraderuk on Instagram for the latest updates.
*Highly Commended Winner of the 2025 Car Dealer Power Award in the Used Car Valuations category.
MediaCity’s massive Vue cinema has had a comfort upgrade with new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats
Emily Sergeant
Manchester cinephiles are now able to enjoy the latest movie releases in ultimate comfort.
That’s because, over at the popular MediaCity Vue cinema complex, 75 brand-new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats have been installed across seven screens, offering film fans what is, quite literally, the chance to sit in the best seats in the house.
Each seat provides the very-best view of the big screen and comes with a host of premium features.
Some of these exciting premium features include extra-wide armrests and a personal table for snacks and drinks, your very-own beverage cooler, which is ideal for films with a particularly long run-time, and even a back and legs that recline independently, so you can find the most relaxing viewing position possible.
Vue currently has 93 state-of-the-art cinemas throughout the UK and Ireland, totalling more than 850 screens – and the Quayside cinema is the latest to benefit from upgraded seating.
Ultra Lux seats have arrived at Vue Quayside Manchester / Credit: Vue Gallery / Supplied
This means that anyone heading to the cinema to see some of the latest and upcoming releases like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Marty Supreme, The Housemaid, Fackham Hall, Wicked: For Good, and so many more, can experience comfort like never before.
“We have invested in bringing Vue’s best seating option to our venue and are excited for our customers to enhance their experience on their next visit,” commented Darren Tinsley, who is the General Manager at Vue Manchester Quayside.
“It is truly the best way to immerse yourself in a film and to have the most comfortable experience.”
Tickets for Vue Manchester Quayside start from £6.49, with upgrades to Ultra Lux from £3 on selected tickets.
January is a month where the temperatures are colder, the days darker, and the social batteries a little lower, so it couldn’t be a better time to lose yourself in the power of cinema – and treat yourself to an Ultra Lux experience.
You can book tickets to upcoming films online by visiting myvue.com.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd May 2022 
