Over 24,000 runners return to Greater Manchester for 2022 Therme Manchester Marathon
Once again the atmosphere in Greater Manchester was electric, with over 24,000 runners lacing up to take on the 26.2 mile challenge. Not only that, but we also welcomed an incredible team of 1,000 volunteers and over 100,000 supporters who lined the streets to cheer on the runners.
The elite field was the strongest to date, as the Therme Manchester Marathon played host to the Commonwealth Games qualifiers, European Athletics Championship trials and the European 50K Championship qualifiers. With over 150 elite athletes signed up to compete for the coveted ‘top 3’ finisher positions, the best of British athletes were welcomed to the course.
Competition was tight for the position of first finisher with Jonny Mellor taking first place with a time of 2:10:46. He was closely followed by Ross Millington and Kevin Seaward with respective times of 2:11:38 and 2:11:54. Joining her compatriots as first female finisher was Becky Briggs, who finished with a record-breaking time of 2:29:04, closely followed by Naomi Mitchell (2:30:54) and Georgina Schwiening (2:31:37).
Top 3️ in full for the elite male & females today. They are of course followed by about 20,000 others!
Over to them for further heroics…#manchestermarathon pic.twitter.com/6nmkWQNLL1
— Manchester Marathon (@Marathon_Mcr) April 3, 2022
The Elite Wheelchair Athletes continued to showcase their strong athletic abilities with 2021’s second placed male Samuel Kolek returning to push himself and claim the coveted first finisher place with a time of 1:48:24. Martyna Snopek, our Elite Female Wheelchair Athlete, stormed across the finish line with a time of 2:40:24.
We also saw many runners raising vital funds for our official charity partners – Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and Sense, in addition to other charitable causes. Over 1,800 runners were entered for charity and expect to fundraise over £2.5m.
In addition, the event acted as a platform for runners to be able to donate important funds to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. For a donation of £10 or more, runners were able to purchase a special edition, additional race bib to be worn on their backs, showing the flag of Ukraine. Purchases of the bibs were extremely popular, with over 2,500 runners purchasing the bibs to raise over £31,000 in donations. Even the elite athletes showed their support!
Roads across Greater Manchester were closed, with the popular City Centre section remaining following positive feedback from 2021. Therme Manchester Marathon continues to commit itself to creating a positive impact on the local area and environment, contributing to the local economy, supporting businesses and giving back to the community in the form of charitable donations from the Trafford Active Fund. The economic boost is projected to surpass 2021’s total of £7.4million, with local businesses set to benefit from continued growth.
The organisers have seen a record demand for entries into next year’s event which will be held on Sunday 16th April 2023. To register for a pre-sale period head to our 2023 page.