The running boom in Greater Manchester is getting bigger every year but for lots of locals, it’s been a regular pastime for much longer and some events like this women’s trail race in Salford have been going for more than thirty years.
Jogging and road racing are one thing but trail running is a discipline all of its own and with such wonderful landscapes to traverse all over the North West let alone just the 10 boroughs, thousands get stuck into it every year.
With that in mind, 2025 marks the 33rd edition of the annual Ladies Trail Race hosted by Swinton Running Club, which sees hordes of female runners turn up to take part and, most importantly, have fun every single year.
Taking place this spring, the latest event makes use of Salford’s largest conservation area and is expecting yet another solid turnout.
Aiming to provide a welcoming space for all women, regardless of background or experience, the Ladies Trail Race gives Mancs a chance to run through some of the most stunning parts of Salford.
The race is a single-lap course spanning five miles that passes the lake at Old Warke Dam and includes sections of Greater Manchester’s famous Bridgewater Canal as well as the beauty of Worsley Woods.
Alternating between trails, woodland terrain and sections of tarmac path, the ease of traversal does fluctuate but is still considered a very accessible level of difficulty, meaning no one should be put off.
Having run through this particular area of Salford ourselves separate from the event itself, we can confirm it’s a wonderful route and a brilliant way to immerse yourself in nearby nature too.
Better yet, it’s a fantastic female-focused event in a space that can often feel intimidating for some.
As Swinton Runners put it, “It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in races and we want to bring women together to push their boundaries and gain a sense of achievement.”
Credit: SRC
For context, when running-based campaign group SheRaces took a poll of 400 female runners to see if they’d be interested in a women-only race, the response was conclusive: 87% said they would – sadly the figures in
Speaking to The Manc, one of the event’s founding members, Margaret McClelland, told us: “I was there back in 1991 when we started the run.
“It was the brainchild of one of our members, Marie Henderson who found when she joined that the club, which even at the time had a high percentage of women runners compared to most clubs, that she enjoyed the camaraderie, the joy of running together with a supportive ‘family’.
“The club had hosted the ‘Women’s Own 10km’ run for a number of years […] Marie thought that we should get our own race back up again and whilst the men were very much involved it was a race for women, organised by women.
“The aim was to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for women to run, whatever their ability or goals. The first, last and everyone in between is as important as each other and for them to keep going, showing what running can do in terms of feel good, with the bonus of it not costing very much to do.”
It’s events like this and the strong base of female runners here in Greater Manchester that have helped pave the way for contemporaries like the upcoming Women’s Run Series by RunThrough to come to Heaton Park.
You can watch the 25th-anniversary video made for the City of Salford Women’s Run down below, and if you’re interested in taking part in the 2025 Ladies Trail Race, it takes place on Sunday, 4 May with a bright and early 9am start time.
Manchester United appoint new Academy Director with more youth players set to join first-team training
Danny Jones
Manchester United have appointed a new Academy Director in the form of former footballer turned coach Stephen Torpey.
Signing the retired Kirkby-born forward from fellow Premier League side Brentford FC, Torpey arrives at the newly regenerated Carrington Training Complex with a strong pedigree.
The 43-year-old – who spent time at Greater Manchester clubs like Altrincham, Atherton Laburnum Rovers, Staylbridge Celtic and FC United as a pro – joined Brentford last January, but has now made the move up North.
Announced this week, Stephen Torpey officially will replace former academy boss Nick Cox, who left the club after the best part of a decade back in June.
ℹ️ Stephen Torpey has been appointed Academy Director of Manchester United.
Having been reportedly head-hunted by INEOS and Man United’s Director of Football, Jason Wilcox (who is still only recently installed himself), the ex-Bees coach was confirmed on Thursday, 21 August.
Speaking on the appointment, Wilcox wrote in a club statement: “After an extensive recruitment process, we are delighted to have appointed Stephen at such an exciting time for our Academy.
“Stephen’s record of youth development is outstanding; throughout his career, he has played a significant role in the development of some of the most talented players in the country.
“We will work closely together to ensure that the Academy continues to foster the right environment to nurture our young players individually while developing the best talent ready to excel in our first team.”
As for Torpey, he said: “I am really proud to have this opportunity to lead Manchester United’s Academy. It is obviously a great time to be joining as the club enters an exciting new era; I can’t wait to play my role in continuing the incredible tradition of youth development here.”
Torpey went on to add: “After spending time with the leadership team, it is clear that the Academy will always remain key to the identity of Manchester United, with our primary aim being to produce players ready to support a first team capable of challenging for the biggest honours.”
You can find out more about the new United Academy Director, Stephen Torpey, and his background here.
Having famously disproven the ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ belief put forward by Alan Hansen on multiple occasions over the past three decades, it looks like manager Ruben Amorim is once again looking to turn inwards to find future gems in addition to a plethora of new signings.
Brentford also have a reputation for blooding in previously unknown young players along with their clever ‘Moneyball’ recruitment, especially as they have risen up the football pyramid in recent years, so United supporters will no doubt he hoping for similar results at Old Trafford.
The UEFA A-licensed coach has worked with both Man City and Liverpool youth setups, not to mention overseeing the relaunch of Brentford’s full academy programme from U9s to U18s; boasting a wealth of experience, and it already looks like even more youngsters are set to be gradually pushed forward.
Amorim has already given minutes to the likes of Ayden Heaven, Harry Amass, Tyler Fredricson and Chido Obi, just to name a few. With that in mind, it looks like others will soon be flirting with first-team training and perhaps senior appearances.
Sale Sharks drop Haçienda-inspired away kit for the 2025/26 season
Danny Jones
Local rugby side Sale Sharks have just released their new away kit for the 2025/26 season, taking inspiration from Manchester’s legendary nightclub, The Haçienda.
The Greater Manchester club have a great run with Macron as their suppliers, with the Italian sportswear manufacturer coming on board in 2021, but this might be one of their best shirts yet.
After teasing the latest jersey with a ‘This is OUR NORTH’ trailer on Wednesday, 20 August, ahead of the Premiership Rugby season getting underway next month, supporters were excited to see what the pair had come up with for their latest design.
Turns out, they had every reason to be, as the 25/26 Sale Sharks kit has gone down as an instant hit, with the rich, almost wine coloured number integrating that iconic Haçienda pattern.
With Sharks men’s and women’s stars Carmen Castellucci, recent signing Nathan Jibulu, Nikita Prothero, Sam Dugdale, and Ernst van Rhyn all getting involved for the kit reveal, the new away shirt went on sale this Thursday morning (10 Aug).
Aside from the recognisable chevron pattern, which nods to the famous Mancunian music venue and the city’s storied clubbing scene, the launch video was filmed within a special exhibition in honour of the man behind The Haçienda and co-founder of Factory Records, the one and only Tony Wilson.
Plenty of tourists have visited the city to see the Tony Wilson Exhibition at the Smolensky Gallery – the showcase having just ended this past July – but this short shoot looks to help extend the celebrations of his legacy.
As for the kit itself, Sale Sharks and Macron have gone for another very Mancunian colour scheme, it would seem, choosing magenta and Bordeaux hues as a tribute to another one of our most famous creations: Vimto.
You’ve just got to love a kit with multiple hometown references.
It might not be full-on black and yellow (Man City already did that a couple of years ago), but it’s still an eye-catching pattern and colour combo.
Other little touches that will no doubt please fans include the embossed print depicting a shark fin at the bottom of the shirt and the date 1861 – the year the rugby union team was founded.
While plant-based ‘super food’ sponsor BOL takes pride of place in the front of the female jerseys, the men’s team remain with Toshiba, and the shirts themselves are made from Eco Fabric: 100% polyester derived from post-consumer recycled plastic.
So, what do you make of the new and very Manc away shirt, Sale Sharks fans? All we know is it’s been a great summer for kits all-round.
Danny Jones -
12th March 2025 
