Aldi Manchester Half Marathon on Channel 4 this weekend
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Organisers of the 2016 Aldi Manchester Half Marathon have confirmed that television coverage of the race will be broadcast on national television this Saturday 29th October.
The half-hour programme will air at 6.40am on Channel 4 and then at 7.40am on Channel 4 + 1 and 4 On Demand.
Created by Dream Team Television, one of the UK’s leading production companies specializing in multisport and athletics programming, the programme is expected to have a reach of over one million people throughout the UK, Europe and worldwide.
The inaugural Aldi Manchester Half Marathon took place on Sunday 16th October and saw thousands of runners cross the finish line at Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire County Cricket Club. The highly anticipated 13.1-mile race was hailed a huge success as beginners, charity runners and a strong field of elites completed the flat and fast course.
Both the men’s and the women’s races were thrilling from start to finish and saw the race lay its roots as one of the fastest half marathons in the country. Adam Hickey clinched the men’s title over Matt Bond with just a five second lead, coming in at 01:04:41, while Rebecca Murray claimed the women’s title in 01:12:59 just ahead of Louise Small. Both Hickey and Murray collected £2,000 in prize money. Hickey and Bond then went on to collect a £500 time bonus for running a sub 65:00 time, and Murray also claimed a £500 time bonus for finishing under 73:30.
The television programme promises to re-live all the exciting action of the day and capture the superb atmosphere of the streets of Manchester filled with supporters and entertainment.
The programme will be presented by Katharine Merry, former English sprinter and Olympic medalist. Katharine has 30 years of experience at the highest levels of athletics, having progressed from professional sportswoman to successful sports presenter, and she is the only female lead commentator in Athletics. Katharine presented a programme in April this year covering the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon, the sister race to the Aldi Manchester Half Marathon.
The Aldi Manchester Half Marathon is set to become one of the UK’s flattest and fastest half marathons. With just a 41m elevation gain, it is ideal for runners of all levels including first-time half marathon runners, charity runners and elite athletes seeking a PB or qualifying time. The event offers a generous British and Irish only prize fund with additional time bonuses.
Race Director Simon Hill commented: “We are delighted to have secured terrestrial television coverage for the inaugural Aldi Manchester Half Marathon. The race has been embraced by the running community and the television programme will help to raise awareness among a wider audience of Manchester’s exciting new race distance, and of everything the city has to offer.
“We were immensely proud to welcome a strong elite field to our very first event. The event is ideal for all levels of runner wishing to experience a flat and fast course with fantastic support along the way, and we look forward to attracting more elite athletes and first time runners to the 2017 race. Our television appearance is a great reward for all the hard work that has gone into staging the very first Aldi Manchester Half Marathon.”
The race’s three National Charity Partners were Alzheimer’s Society, British Heart Foundation and Save the Children. The Local Charity Partners were The Christie and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH).
Sponsors of the Aldi Manchester Half Marathon included Aldi, ASICS, INTERSPORT, HIGH5, MLP Law, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Emirates Old Trafford and Trafford Council. Best Western Cresta Court Hotel was the Official Hotel Partner for the race and supporters included ERDINGER Alkoholfrei, Athlete Matters and TWJ.
12,000 places were available for the 2016 Aldi Manchester Half Marathon.
Entries for the 2017 race will open shortly and runners can register their interest on the website in order to qualify for a special early bird offer.
Go to www.manchesterhalfmarathon.com for further race details, like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/manchesterhalfmarathon and follow @manchesterhalf #ManchesterHalf #NOWWERUN on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest news.
