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Great Manchester Run announces updates for 2021

The massive event has officially launched a series of dates for the year ahead - moving the Great Run itself back to September.

The Manc The Manc - 6th January 2021

Events in Britain have been on pause for the best part of a year, meaning we didn’t get to see thousands of bright-red, sweat-soaked, smiling faces bobbing over the finish line at Deansgate in 2020.

The most recent edition of the Great Manchester Run – which was set to be one of its biggest yet – was sadly cancelled due to COVID risks, but event organisers are already prepping to reboot in 2021.

Great Manchester Run is hoping to return with a bang in the year ahead – laying out some tentative dates for the main event itself.

Instead of taking place in May, the Great Manchester Run 2021 has been scheduled for Sunday 26 September.

A gap of nine months gives organisers the best chance of ensuring the event goes ahead this time around – but they’ve put plenty in the calendar between now and then to give Mancs a way to get fit and healthy before September.

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The Great Run team have launched a ‘Run Away From 2020’ challenge to kick things off – letting people put a glum year permanently behind them with a series of exercises.

The challenge is to complete 21 activities (run, jog, walk) of any distance in January.

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The challenge is for all abilities that celebrates all activity, and participants will be rewarded with a snazzy 2-in-1 medal.

The challenge is happening right now, ending 31 January.

You can join at any time from now up to Monday 11 January at 10am, when entries close.

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Find out more online.

Also being arranged for 2021 is The Great Run Solo Distance Challenge.

This event is designed to keep you racking up the miles over a 7 or 28 day period.

Choose from 7 miles, 50k, 100k or 150k, reach or exceed the distance across the challenge period, and your efforts will be rewarded with a medal.

Find out more and sign up online.

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2021 will hopefully be a bigger, better, healthier and happier year for everyone.

Let’s get training…

Entries for the Great Manchester Run 2021 are due to open soon, but you can sign up to the Reminder Service to get the latest event news here.

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We Are Football Fest – Europe’s largest World Cup fan park gets even bigger as ‘Big Sam’ joins the party

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson We Are Football Festival - Europe’s biggest World Cup fan park is opening in Manchester

The largest World Cup fan park not just in Manchester or the UK but all of Europe just got even bigger, as the latest ambitious project from 4TheFans is seeing them expand from Freight Island into Depot Mayfield.

In fact, the former has already sold out in just four hours, and with a former England manager set to turn up, you’d better be quick about booking your tickets…

We Are Football Festival, in partnership with Freight Island and Broadwick, will bring together 13,000 football fans in front of the biggest screens in the country to cheer on England as they continue their race for World Cup glory.

The already enormous fan park opened at Freight in June, but now they’ll be opening up the iconic Depot next door, further transforming the space into an unrivalled celebration of football, with the one and only Sam Allardyce even set to turn up on stage.

depot mayfield world cup tickets 2026
The outdoor screen has been box office vibes since minute one
We Are Football Festival by 4TheFans
We Are Football Festival by 4TheFans
The fan park will open at Depot Mayfield
The fan park spills over into Depot Mayfield
It's set to be Europe's biggest World Cup fan zone
Credit: Vision Seven

We know he was only in charge for one game, but he’s still the only England boss to boast a 100% win record, after all.

Fans have been utterly immersed in the action thanks to a massive sound system, pyrotechnics, CO2 cannons, DJs, and entertainment around the games themselves – providing just about the closest thing you can get to a big game atmosphere.

The venue is open for all late kick-offs, too, and with England now through to the quarter-final stages following that dramatic 3-2 thriller against Mexico, the heat is really starting to ramp up.

Fans can head to Freight, as well as the rooftop or garden at Depot Mayfield from 5pm kick-off on matchdays in the sunshine, now with room for even more supporters to flood into the famous Manc Warehouse for those late-night games in the warehouse.

Here’s hoping it doesn’t get much later than a 4am full-time whistle again, eh?

There’s also the dedicated ‘Footy Fun Village’, which includes sponsored activations, games zones, and more family-friendly areas, creating a safe space for fans of all ages to enjoy the tournament no matter the time of day.

4TheFans and Freight Island have also hand-picked a great selection of food traders from around the world, not to mention a top-shelf bar selection.

We Are Football Fest’s 2026 World Cup coverage also comes with dedicated 4TheFans hosts, plus Sky Sports presenters, and the matches thus far have even seen England football legends providing quality match analysis at each screening. 

Since launching, 4TheFans has welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans, and camera crews from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, Sky Sports, England TV, and Match of the Day, to fan parks across the UK.

It’s now chosen Depot Mayfield for its World Cup fan park, where they can fill the huge space at Freight Island first before scaling into the rest of the Depot as the fan community grows and the Three Lions march on.

4TheFans is the UK’s original and biggest fan park brand, and it’s working with Freight Island and Broadwick to deliver this game-changing We Are Football Festival – the biggest and best fan park in Europe.

5,000 early bird tickets are available from just £4.50 per person, each coming with one beer included, and are on sale right HERE.

4TheFans presents We Are Football Festival runs at Depot Mayfield until 19 July 2026.

General admission tickets include

  • 4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
  • Football legend in attendance
  • Guaranteed entry to the event
  • The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
  • Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
  • Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
  • Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders

VIP table tickets include

  • VIP table section with the best view of the giant screens and the event
  • Meet and greet with a football legend
  • 4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
  • Guaranteed entry to the event
  • The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
  • Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
  • Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
  • Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders
Freight Island World Cup screenings tickets
It’s been packed for every England game up to this point
depot mayfield we are football fest 2026 tickets
How the indoor Depot warehouse room will look
we are football festival manchester
Credit: Supplied via 4TheFans

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Images – Press shots by Vision Seven (supplied via 4TheFans)

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Title partner and other collaborators confirmed for first-ever Stockport 10k

Danny Jones Danny Jones Stockport 10k run 2026 race

The official title partners and other key collaborators for the inaugural Stockport 10k run and road race have been confirmed, with Vitality lending its name as the new lead sponsor.

Now set to be dubbed the Vitality Stockport 10K moving forward as part of a multi-year agreement beginning in 2026, the new running event by the UK’s leading organisers, RunThrough, has already seen huge interest.

The popular promotion and growing sports community currently boasts more than 300 different events across the country over the course of the annual calendar.

Ahead of this new SK iteration launching later this month, the nearby health insurance company are teaming up with the likes of the RunThrough team, Stockport County and more.

As mentioned, places are already selling out fast with hundreds signing up from the moment the race went on sale.

Besides Edgeley Park football stadium hosting a memorable finish line at the local ground, Stockport County’s Community Trust arm is also playing a big role in the maiden Greater Manchester movement.

Lots of runners will be taking on the 10 kilometre/6.2 mile challenge for all kinds of reasons, but importantly, this first edition will also help raise money for the Trust’s completely free health and wellbeing programmes across the borough.

Eddie Owen, who heads up the schemes, said in a statement: “We’re delighted to be supporting this new community 10K and bringing people together at Edgeley Park for what promises to be a fantastic event.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to get active, support an important cause and be part of something that will have a lasting impact on our local community.

“Every entry will help us continue delivering our free health projects and move us closer to our goal of funding a brand-new health initiative for an entire year. We can’t wait to welcome runners, supporters and families to Edgeley Park in July.”

As for RunThrough themselves, CEO Jack Williams went on to add: “We’re proud to announce Vitality as the title sponsor of the inaugural Vitality Stockport 10K.

“Their commitment to the local community makes them a fantastic partner for this event, and with the run starting and finishing at Edgeley Park, it already has a strong SK identity. We’re excited to work together to create a welcoming and memorable race day for runners and supporters across the town.”

The run itself is set to start along Harcastle Road, pass through the gorgeous Bramhall Park, back towards the town centre and Edgeley, before finishing at the famous Cheadle End.

Regarding the route itself, the course will treat participants to a route with a fairly flat elevation profile, making it ideal not only for those looking to notch a new personal best but entry level runners, too.

One of the best parts about RunThrough as well is the added bonus of accurate chip timing, a unique finisher’s medal design for each event, goodie bags and even free photos after completion.

Stockport 10k running event 2026
Credit: RunThrough

Nick Read, Chief Vitality Officer, went on to add: “We’re delighted to partner with RunThrough as title
sponsor of the Vitality Stockport 10K. This event brings together the local community in a way that reflects what Vitality stands for — making movement accessible, enjoyable and part of everyday life, whatever your starting point.

“Stockport is a key location for Vitality, both as a growing hub for our people and as one where we want to have a meaningful, long-term presence. It’s particularly fitting that this debut event takes place on the eve of opening our new office at No.3 Stockport Exchange.

“The space has been designed with health and wellbeing at its core, and this event is a great example of the kind of community-led initiatives we’re proud to support, helping to encourage more people to get active in a way that works for them.”

Entries for the Vitality Stockport 10K are open now, with runners from all over Greater Manchester invited to take their place on the start line come Sunday, 19 July 2026 – you can secure your spot HERE.

The North West running renaissance continues, and we’re absolutely here for it.

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A documentary about Manchester’s famous homeless charity run has just dropped on YouTube
This region’s runners continue to make us proud.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied via RunThrough/Stockport County FC

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