Comic Relief has a new hero, and after his ultra-distance and ultra-hard fundraising feats, Jamie Laing has officially had a section of the 2025 Manchester Marathon named after him.
He’s come a long way from the days of McVitie’s fortune and Made in Chelsea moments.
The English TV personality turned presenter, podcaster, and businessman embarked on an unbelievable ultra-marathon running challenge last month, setting himself the task of running a total of 150 miles for Comic Relief. With no training…
Making his way from London all the way to Manchester and in Salford Quays, specifically, where the BBC coverage team and thousands of spectators met him with rapturous applause, he completed the unbelievable distance and was in tears at the finish. Here’s the moment he did it:
Full of emotion after not only having smashed the five ultra marathons in five days – he had never run anywhere near this distance before in his life – but after raising nearly £3 million for the cause and counting, there were hugs and plenty of tears all around.
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Laing described the experience as “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life” and said that a big part of the journey was battling through and drawing attention to the issues surrounding mental health, admitting, “I have suffered, and I do suffer, and that’s OK.”
Now, while we don’t have that power at present, we’ll have to settle for the next best thing, which comes courtesy of the Adidas Manchester Marathon.
With Laing having officially completed his consecutive ultra marathon challenge, the organisers have named a section of this year’s route through Greater Manchester in his honour.
Come on, how cool is that?
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The moment Jamie Laing ran 150 miles and cemented himself in Comic Relief and Manchester Marathon history (Credit: The Manc Group)
Finally confirmed via a spot on BBC Radio 1 this week, Mancs taking on the biggest run of the year will run through ‘Radio 1’s Laing Lane’ down Chester Road when the race rolls around on Sunday, 27 April.
Even more excitingly, Laing‘s achievement has also seen a limited number of marathon places – 12 to be specific – released too, so anyone who missed out has an extra chance of having their own hero moment.
Naturally, all proceeds are going straight to the Comic Relief cause.
Andrew Smith, CEO of A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organisation) UK, the country’s leading mass participation events company, said of the achievement: “Jamie’s challenge is nothing short of heroic – five ultramarathons in five days is no easy feat!
“Not only has he crossed the finish line, but he’s also raised an incredible £2.7 million for Comic Relief. If he did pass through our 2025 route, we’ll be proud to name that stretch after him – a lasting tribute to his endurance, energy, and impact.”
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🚨12 PLACES UP FOR GRABS! 🚨 To celebrate Jamie Laing’s feat, we’re naming a section of our route LAING LANE! 🎉 We’re also opening up 12 places for the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon, 100% of the entry fee goes to Comic Relief.
We’re just over a month away from the 2025 race, the fourth-largest in all of Europe, and with a couple of members of The Manc team taking it on again this year, we cannot wait.
A new finish line has already been announced for this year’s route, and while we can’t tell you exactly which part of the Manchester Marathon will be named after Jamie Laing just yet, we promise to give it an extra pump when we pass through wherever it is.
It’s also worth reminding you that the general public can still donate to his incredible Red Nose Day fundraiser right HERE.
Greater Manchester’s running culture continues to flourish with more clubs, events and representation than ever. You just love to see it.
Man City hoping to snap up promising Liverpool youngster with multiple clubs monitoring
Danny Jones
Manchester City are hoping to secure the signature of a rising Liverpool star who is already looking like one to watch, but they’ll have to wrestle with a number of teams if they want to get their man.
For starters, his parent club don’t want to let him go, but they have until this summer to lock him into a new deal, with suitors ready and waiting in the wings.
The promising youth player in question is Josh Abe, who is just 15 years old but has already made a bit of sporting history on Merseyside and even in Europe.
Having already scored a hatful of goals at various levels, several Premier League outfits are now monitoring his contract situation, with Abe still yet to commit his future to Melwood and possible Liverpool first-team opportunities – and it’s not hard to see why so many want him…
The Warrington-born winger has registered eight goals and a trio of assists for the under-18s this season, including a standout performance against Derby, as well as a hat-trick against Leeds United earlier this month.
Cementing himself in the record books as their youngest ever scorer at that level, he also happened to play a key role in their 3-2 win over Oliver Reiss’ side back in October, grabbing a goal and assisting as they beat City in the division for the first time in half a dozen years.
But he’s impressed beyond just LFC ranks, too.
In addition to becoming the youngest Liverpool product to ever feature in the UEFA Youth League, he has also been called up to England’s U16s.
With early nods of recognition across the board, it’s little surprise that he’s now trained with Arne Slot’s senior squad on more than one occasion.
However, scousers are still waiting to see his full professional debut, as it looks like his employers have a fight on their hands to keep the fast-progressing young forward.
As per The Athletic‘s James Pearce, Man City look to be leading their pursuit for Josh Abe not only as a major rival club and the next nearest destination, but because of the increased wages they could theoretically offer him as an aspiring pro and potential future prospect.
On the other hand, if Liverpool do fail to tie him down, his agency, PLG – headed up by Tyler Alexander-Arnold, the brother of Trent – will be free to negotiate from June 1 onwards if he doesn’t extend his stay – it could be a three-horse race to snap him up.
Apart from City, both Chelsea and Arsenal are said to be interested in recruiting him, and with it being reported that teenaged attacker’s father is a lifelong Gunner, they could pose an added threat to the Blues sealing a transfer.
Then again, we’ve seen Chelsea continue to swallow up talent all over the country for their academy time and time again, plus they’ve been pretty lax when it comes to the salary budget for years now. All that being said, the CFG (City Football Group) could face quite a scrap should Abe decide to leave Liverpool.
Naturally, he’s already been the subject of a ‘future wonderkid’ highlights reel on YouTube; you can see some of his best moments so far down below.
Have you seen clips of him before, and/or are you buying into the hype?
Co-op Live confirmed as the host venue for the 2026 Netball Super League Grand Final
Danny Jones
Manchester’s Co-op Live has booked its latest big event as the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) Grand Final is set to be held at the massive indoor venue.
As one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues not just in the country but all of Europe, there’ll be room for plenty of UK fans to pile into the stands.
This being not only the NSL‘s debut at the arena but the first final to ever be held in the building, it’s set to be a historic night for lots of reasons.
Announcing the huge coup – not just for the increasingly popular female-led competition, but for sports fans around Greater Manchester in general – this week, the reaction to the big date on the women’s sporting calendar has been just as big.
As mentioned in an official press release, “The selection of Co-op Live for the 2026 Soft & Gentle Grand Final builds on the arena’s rapid emergence as a global destination for sport and entertainment, following a programme of major global broadcasts across music and sport.”
The 23,500-capacity and completely indoor stadium has quickly established itself as a leading destination for live music and more since it finally opened back in May 2024.
Last year’s Super League Grand Final was held down in the capital at The O2 Arena as the fast-rising franchise London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning 53–45 to lift the title for the first time in history.
Now, the NSL is looking to capitalise on those record-breaking crowds by bringing the action closer to another foundational home for so many competitive disciplines: Greater Manchester.
With England Netball themselves being headquarted at the England Netball is headquartered at the National Squash Centre and Regional Arena on the Etihad Campus (next door to the arena), choosing Co-op Live only felt natural this time.
Elsewhere, another big tournament is being held up in the North, too, with the Netball Super Cup set be hosted at the Utilita Arena over in Yorkshire – much to our mates at The Sheff‘s delight.
Treat a netball fan in your life ❤️
🤝 Help them start #NSL2026 in style and get them tickets to see the Netball Super Cup live.
As for Co-op Live itself, general manager Guy Dunstan commented: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the Soft & Gentle Grand Final to Co-op Live and to make history by hosting the first sporting final at the arena.
“Co-op Live was designed to bring people together for unforgettable shared experiences, and this reflects everything [we] stand for: world-class events, inclusivity, community impact and inspiring the next generation. We can’t wait to see Manchester play host to such a landmark moment for the sport.”
As always, official Co-op members get early access through the venue’s dedicated presale window, which will open at 10am on Monday, 2 March.
Meanwhile, general admission will then be available from the same time the following Thursday (5 Mar); you can get ready to grab your tickets for the Netball Super League Grand Final in Manchester at Co-op Live right HERE.
Danny Jones -
22nd March 2025 
