Sport
2024 Manchester Half Marathon makes history after record-breaking year
A day to be proud of all-round.
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.
The achievements don’t stop there either.
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.
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.
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.
Read more:
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.
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!
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Manchester Half (supplied)
Sport
Academy graduate Oscar Bobb is leaving Manchester City on a permanent transfer
Danny Jones
Manchester City youth academy graduate Oscar Bobb is leaving the club after sealing a move to Fulham FC.
Despite plenty of loan interest throughout the January transfer window, the Man City attacker has secured a switch to the in-form West London team on a permanent basis.
Bobb looked increasingly likely to leave in some capacity following the arrival of another winger in the form of instant hit, Antoine Semenyo, but it now looks as though his departure is all but confirmed, bar an imminent official announcement.
As reported by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the agreement has now been reached between the two clubs pending a full medical today (Thursday, 29 January).
According to Romano, Fulham will pay Man City approximately £27 million for Bobb’s services, who becomes the latest addition in what has already been a fairly busy period of recruitment.
He goes on to add that “City also mantain [a] 20% sell-on clause, matching rights and future control on the player based on his decision.”
There is no suggestion of a buy-back clause at this time, but given his age and having already made a fair few appearances for Pep Guardiola‘s first team, it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to see him return to the club one day.
Bobb also arrives at Craven Cottage following the exit of multiple wingers and offensive options, including Adama Traore, ex-Man United product Andreas Pereira and Arsenal youngster, Reiss Nelson, whose loan deal has expired and has signed another temporary deal at local rivals, Brentford.
A similar scenario played out with James Trafford at the start of this season, though it now looks as though the young keeper could once again leave before the end of the month. Many City supporters understandably have some mixed feelings about both situations.
The young Norwegian winger joined the Etihad Campus back in 2023 and went on to contribute a handful of goals and assists, despite limited appearances and some very unfortunate injury issues.
Only seven months ago, his soon-to-be former parent club released a short video charting his return from the sidelines after fracturing his leg – a setback which kept him out for roughly five months.
Plenty of fans have quickly placed him in the so-called ‘what if?’ category of players, and given that he’s still just 22 years old and has already impressed on a number of ocassions for such a big club, we wouldn’t be surprised if he goes on to have a very exciting career.
Can you see the Blues bringing in or letting anyone else go before deadline day?
Read more:
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — pantkiewicz (via Flickr)/El Loko (via WikiCommons)/Man City (via YouTube)
Sport
Tyson Fury has officially revealed his comeback fight after coming out of ‘retirement’ once again
Danny Jones
Tyson Fury has officially announced the opponent for his comeback fight after yet again returning to professional boxing.
Fury supposedly ‘retired’ for seemingly the umpteenth time last January following his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk the month prior, and some even believed it might have actually been his final outing.
Nevertheless, ‘The Gypsy King’ said he was coming out of retirement once more earlier this year, and now his next match-up has been confirmed.
Revealing the other contender as Aslanbek Makhmudo, the fight will be aired live on Netflix only.
Partnered exclusively with boxing magazine, Ring, the bout between Fury and Makhmudo is the latest big fight night to be picked up by the streaming giants.
The most recent example was, obviously, Anthony Joshua’s brutal knockout of influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul this past December.
Makhmudo, just a year younger than his opposite number, is a fellow experienced heavyweight based mainly out of Canada with a decent pedigree of his own.
The Russian, simply known as ‘The Lion’, has a record of 21 wins – more than half of those coming by KO.
With that in mind, he presents a potentially exciting prospect for the famous Manchester fighter, who hasn’t won a proper competitive fight since the defence of his WBC belt against Derek Chisora in December 2022.
Similarly, this should at least see two very well-seasoned pros going head to head.
He did fight MMA veteran Francis Ngannou in a one-off exhibition, but there was no title or anything tangible on the line.
In fact, even Fury himself admitted it was a “below par” showing.
Many fight fans would argue that there haven’t been enough proper big heavyweight dates since Fury vs Usyk, and even then, we are still yet to get a date for the all-but fully confirmed final fight of the trilogy.
Fury himself did state that the conclusion of their clash is scheduled for this April, but nothing official has been set in stone by any promotion or venue and the new date means it’s even less likely to be any time soon; meanwhile, plenty are still hoping for AJ vs Fury.
The 37-year-old will take on Makhmudo on Saturday, 11 April, and you can bet the world will be watching.
Read more:
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — FurociTV (via YouTube)/Netflix/Ring Magazine/@Mike_DiDomizio(via X)
