Great Manchester Run: Thousands line the streets for race return

Thousands of spectators lined the streets for the return of the Great Manchester Run after it was cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

The event is normally held in May but this year's event was moved due to Covid restrictions.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council and one of the honorary starters of the 10k race, said the event was very important to the city.

Great Run organisers said Manchester was "buzzing".

"It (the run) shows the city off, encourages people to be active and get outside and it raises money for charity," Sir Richard said.

"It is important people come together, too."

He said the race was "part of the Commonwealth Games legacy that legacy is still going 19 years later".

[The run] came out after the 2017 arena bomb and its come out after Covid.

"It is a real chance to show the togetherness and the resilience of this wonderful city."

Manchester United FC's Jesse Lingard, who was also an honorary starter, said it was an "amazing feeling" to be part of it.

Chief executive of The Great Run Company Paul Foster said it was "incredible to see so many people taking on the challenge" and "celebrate being back together on the start line in Manchester" after such an testing time.

Marc Scott came first in the elite men's race with a time of 28:03 and Eilish McColgan won this year's elite women race in a time of 30:52.

McColgan said: "I'm over the moon. I ran a [personal best] and only [three] seconds off the course record so I can't ask for any more."

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