Yep, that’s right, the 2020 Manchester Marathon has had the date moved yet again, from the 11th of April, 2021 to the 10th of October, 2021.
Now, does that make it Manchester Marathon 2021, or Manchester Marathon 2020?
The change in date kind of makes sense, as with the way the whole coronavirus situation is currently panning out in the UK, it’s likely that we could still be seeing some kind of restrictions in place early next year. Fingers crossed that the situation has calmed down and some ‘normality’ has returned to our lives by the second half of 2021!
The official statement from the organisers of the Manchester Marathon is below:
“After careful consideration, the decision has been taken to hold the 2021 Manchester Marathon on Sunday 10th October, rather than the traditional April date. The priority of the Manchester Marathon is to always ensure a safe and enjoyable event for the many runners, supporters, crew, suppliers and of course the local community. The new date will give organisers the opportunity to do this, and offer the same incredible experience that has seen popularity boom in recent years, doubling in size, and becoming the fourth most popular marathon in Europe with up to 30,000 runners.”
“…However, whilst working with our trusted stakeholders and as further time passed it became apparent that there was an increasing lack of certainty for us to confidently deliver various essentials needed for the Marathon this early in 2021.
This is of course due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the often-changing restrictions in place. As we approach a time when we must invest your money from entry fees into the huge amount of costs that are essential to a major marathon, we felt it would be irresponsible to continue when we feel October gives us a better chance of doing the event justice in 2021.”
Source: Manchester Marathon Moves to October 2021 – Manchester Marathon
Manchester has a special place in my heart as it’s was my first sub-4 marathon (as well as being the one that I achieved a 4:00:01 time too – so close!), so it’s one that now features on my race calendar every year. Having said that, training for a spring marathon is a good start to the year, with plenty of wet and cold winter runs so April is the perfect time for it. Having to spend the hot and humid summer months training for an Autumn marathon will bring about some interesting challenges, especially as I hate running in the heat – I’m definitely not a natural summer runner!
What do you guys think about the date change?
