Handmade Trophies Announced for ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon Winners

The winners of the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon taking place on Sunday 10th April 2016 will be taking home exclusive handmade trophies to celebrate their win and the marathon’s 40th anniversary.

The anniversary is an exciting milestone for the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon, which was brought back in 2012 after a decade’s absence by current organisers Xtra Mile Events. Since then, the race has been voted the UK’s Best Marathon for the last two years at The Running Awards, cementing its reputation as the nation’s flattest, fastest and friendliest marathon.

The celebration trophies for the 40th Manchester Marathon will be made by Matthew Wilcock, the winner of BBC TV’s The Great Pottery Throw Down 2015. A highly skilled potter and teacher from North Yorkshire, Matthew will be crafting a unique set of trophies that will set this year’s marathon apart from the rest.

The ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon has moved to a new venue for 2016, with the finish, charity village and race village located outside Emirates Old Trafford, the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club. The start of the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon remains close to the Trafford Arch on the A56, which is just a short walk away from the race village.

An increased number of 15,000 places were available for this year’s race, which is renowned for its superfast course and for providing huge crowd support and first-class entertainment along the way. It is a popular marathon for those seeking a PB or qualifying time, as well as a great first marathon for those starting out. The British-only prize fund guarantees a strong British elite field as well as many international runners.

Online entries for the 2016 race are now closed. The organisers are encouraging anyone who is not running this year to line the streets around the course and to cheer on the participants.

The prize giving will take place at 12.30pm in the race village where supporters and spectators will be able to see the unique trophies being awarded to the winners and congratulate them on their achievements.

Race Director Simon Hill commented: “This year marks an important milestone in the history of the Manchester Marathon and we are honoured to have Matthew Wilcock handmake our winners’ trophies. We pride ourselves on providing a unique marathon experience, and these specially commissioned trophies are a fitting celebration of the race’s 40th anniversary.

“We would like to thank Matthew for helping to make the 2016 ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon a truly memorable event. We are on track for another fantastic year and are looking forward to welcoming a record number of runners to our new course in April.”

Cancer Research UK is the official charity and the Christie charity and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity are the official local charities for the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon 2016. Charity entries are still open.

Please visit www.greatermanchestermarathon.com for further race details.

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