Five Amazing Causes Individuals Are Working The Higher Manchester Marathon
Thousands of runners are limbering up to take part in the Greater Manchester Marathon this weekend.
The 26.2-mile course will be awash with determined racers who all have their own reasons to take part.
About amazing
Amazing may refer to:
A*mazing, an Australian children’s television game show that aired in the mid to late 1990s
Amazing, a maze computer game bundled with the original Apple Macintosh
Amazing (film), 2013 Chinese film
Maurice Stückenschneider, widely known by his nickname Amazing, a German professional League of Legends player
Five amazing reasons people are running the Greater Manchester Marathon
About reasons
In the most general terms, a reason is a consideration that justifies or explains an action, a belief, an attitude, or a fact. Reasons are what people appeal to when making arguments about what people should do or believe.
(Those are reasons in the normative sense.) For example, that a doctor’s patient is grimacing is a reason to believe the patient is in pain. That the patient is in pain is a reason for the doctor to do things to alleviate the pain.
In another sense of the term, reasons are explanations of why things happened. (These are reasons in the explanatory sense.) For example, the reason the patient is in pain is that her nerves are sending signals from her tissues to her brain.
A reason, in many cases, is brought up by the question “why?”, and answered following the word because. Additionally, words and phrases such as since, due to, as, considering (that), a result (of), and in order to, for example, all serve as explanatory locutions that precede the reason to which they refer.
Whether it’s smashing a personal best or raising cash for charity approximately 20,000 people will pound the streets of Stretford, Sale and Altrincham towards the finish line.
Ahead of the event we meet five runners and find out what taking part means to them…
Five amazing reasons people are running the Greater Manchester Marathon
The father and daughter team inspiring disabled families to challenge themselves
Stephan Couture will not be alone when he crosses the finish line at the Greater Manchester marathon.
The 54-year-old will be pushing his teenage daughter Chloe who has cerebral palsy and is severely visually impaired.
Their joint love of racing and the outdoors has taken them over many a terrain since Chloe reached out of her pram as a youngster, communicating her love of movement.
Stephan, from Warwickshire, has carried his daughter on his back up Snowden and lowered her down the valleys of Dovedale as she tried abseiling.
This weekend is their first marathon in Manchester after clocking up eight runs already this year.
Maintenance engineer Stephan said: “A lot of how the race goes depends on the weather because Chloe’s comfort is the most important thing.
“We do have specially designed waterproofs from a Manchester business to keep her warm.”
The duo are aiming to complete the run within five hours and hope it will inspire others to take part.
Proud dad Stephan added: “It is quite special to do this together but it is also about encouraging other families.
“We would love to see more disabled people get involved in sports because it is so valuable and it has changed Chloe.”
The Manchester ladies using the marathon to raise self-esteem
Fitness presenter Katy Moore, 32, is encouraging local ladies to use the Greater Manchester marathon to boost their confidence.
The energetic instructor, from Timperley, has put together five teams of four ladies from her studio to take part as a relay on Sunday.
Run out of the Ashton-on-Mersey rugby club, her business KTFC gives affordable access to gym equipment and classes.
Katy, who has travelled the world as an international presenter for Trainfitness, described why the group are taking part as well as predicting tears.
She said: “Most of the them have never run in their lives before but just came to my fitness classes.
“It was suggested that we put a team together and because they were full of endorphins, they agreed.
“We felt it was important to take part in our home city but it is a massive challenge.”
Organiser Katy described the group as being brand new to running and having struggled with self-esteem in the past.
Splitting the distance between them the Mancunian group will work together to complete the challenge.
This weekend’s run will hopefully inspire the plucky group to sign up for the half in October. Good luck to them all.
The determined man doing it in sections to stop his muscles seizing up
Brave Patrick Barden has cerebral palsy and has been involved in the marathon for the past two years.
The Manchester United fan, from Kent, started his marathon earlier this week using a special route designed by organisers.
It means the determined racer can follow the run despite roads not being closed until Sunday.
Patrick will be using his walking frame to complete the marathon in sections, finishing the last mile at the event on Sunday alongside his best friend and co-fundraiser so they can both cross the finish line together.
Despite the physical challenges he faces, Patrick is no stranger to sporting success and has already done a parachute jump for charity, as well as the London Marathon.
The Greenwich University graduate has seen success teaching a youth football team and has even been shortlisted for a Pride of Britain Award before.
Speaking previously he said: “It will be great to have the motivation and support of the crowd to help get me round, and I can’t wait to claim my medal.”
“I aim to prove to people that nothing is impossible no matter what your ability.”
The grandfather who is on track to run 1,000 marathons
Steve Edwards is known as ‘The Godfather of Marathon Running’ – and rightly so.
This latest venture marks his 863 one, a mind-blowing achievement, making him one of the most successful multi marathon runners in the world today.
However, the 56-year-old IT support worker from the Cotswolds almost got off to a false start after vowing to give up after his first marathon in 1981.
He explained: “I did everything wrong and I couldn’t walk for a week. At that point I vowed to never do it again.”
But Steve soon went back on his word and started to incrementally clock up a few more.
Before long he set his sights on running 500 marathons in an average time of under three and a half hours.
Once he smashed that target the grandfather-of-three took it up a step – by doubling his efforts.
He said: “I didn’t think I would still have the energy or inclination to keep going. I thought my body may giv in.
“But I actually still feel great and I am now chipping away at the 1,000 goal.
“My family are all very proud and I would never have got this far without the support of my wife Teresa.”
The woman with a world record aiming for a personal best
World record holder Susannah Gill says nothing compares to the buzz of race day.
The 34-year-old from London has around 50 marathons under her belt, but this is her first time running Manchester.
In February Susannah took part in a gruelling challenge to run seven marathons in seven days across several continents.
From the icy depths of Antarctica to trendy Miami she set a new world record having ran them in an average time of 3 hours 28 minutes.
She said: “I have heard great things about Manchester and that it’s a fantastic positive atmosphere.
“I always think if you could bottle that feeling on race day humankind would be better off.”
The director of comms says she is aiming to complete the run ‘as close to three hours as possible’.
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Manchester Marathon 2019
