Sunday 10th October 2021 saw Europe’s 4^th largest marathon event, the Therme Manchester Marathon, return to Greater Manchester in its hotly anticipated comeback following the coronavirus pandemic. With its sister event, the Manchester Half, taking place on the same day for the first time, the Therme Manchester Marathon bought a fantastic £7.4 million boost into the local economy, with a specific targeting towards Manchester City Centre and Trafford.

With a record number of 40,000 runners entered across both events, runners were able to enjoy local hospitality, transport and accommodation over the event weekend from October 9th to October 10th. This year also welcomed in a new route for the Therme Manchester Marathon, with the starting section heading into the city centre for the first time in the event’s history. Such a move also ensured that local businesses in the city centre saw a beneficial increase in trade.

This year, event organisers Human Race implemented a series of COVID-19 health and safety measures in order to protect both runners and spectators. A Spectator Guide was introduced encouraging only one spectator per runner, spectators to keep a safe distance from others, avoiding high-fiving and touching runners, and, for the first time, spectators were not allowed in the Athlete’s Village, Start and Finish areas. Digital coverage of the event was also boosted so that supporters could watch from afar and follow the action, with a live feed broadcast, live coverage on the website and live tracking.

With Spectator guidelines in place informing supporters how they can spectate safely, the Therme Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half saw well over 50,000 spectators attending the event weekend. With over 17,000 travelling from outside Greater Manchester, and spending an average two nights in commercial accommodation in the region, this bought in a revenue of £4.7 million.

Furthermore over 8,000 spectators stayed in non-commercial accommodation and 21,600 visitors attended on the day which brought in a staggering £2.4 million spend to the area.

Human Race also donated £1 from every entry to the Trafford Active Fund with the purpose of developing sport and combatting inactivity in the local area. Earlier this year, £46,000 was awarded to organisations deeply impacted by the pandemic. With the completion of the 2021 event, event organisers have been inundated with registrants of interest regarding possible opportunities within their own organisation for 2022. Official Apparel Partner, HOKA ONE ONE, also donated £1 to the Trafford Active Fund for every race bib posted on their celebration wall.

Nick Rusling, CEO of event organisers Human Race said:

“There was a lot of disappointment in 2020 for all involved, when so many much- loved events were not able to go ahead due to coronavirus. We were delighted to be welcoming back thousands of runners to one of the UK’s greatest cities, and Manchester did not disappoint! The people of Manchester continue to make this event so special and create a true welcoming home for our runners.

“With all of our events, we commit ourselves to create a positive impact on the local area, and we are elated to be in a position where we can contribute to the economy, support businesses, and give back to the community in the form of charitable donations from the Trafford Active Fund. This year, we continued to focus on sustainability and the environmental impact of our events, and we implemented a number of measures to ensure we were as ‘green’ as we could be.”

In addition to the personal achievement of crossing the finish line, many runners were also raising vital funds for Therme Manchester Marathon’s official charity partners the Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, WWF, The Christie and ABF The Army’s National Charity, in addition to other charitable causes. Over 2,000 runners were entered for charity and fundraised a staggering £3.2million this year.

Now the 4^th largest marathon in Europe and the 2^nd largest in the UK, the Therme Manchester Marathon is hugely popular due to its fast flat course, and the unrivalled Mancunian atmosphere. With a rich history dating back as far 1908, the annual event has become a destination for keen runners from all over the country who are looking to nail a new personal best time, and many first timers find its supportive and welcoming atmosphere the perfect place to achieve a life goal.

Highlights of the 2021 event can be viewed here:

The organisers have seen a record demand for entries into next year’s event which will be held on Sunday 3rd April 2022.  To get your guaranteed place visit www.manchestermarathon.co.uk.