We couldn’t be prouder of all our participants who took part in the Manchester Half on Sunday. No matter who you are, how fast you ran or why you took part, everyone put on a stellar performance and rocked it to the very end!

There were also people who really went the extra mile on Sunday. Read on to discover some of these amazing participants, who ran for important cause and had a very special story to tell.

Firefighter Trio

Firefighters Chris Prodromis and Daniel Jackson (and partner Stella Bennett) were an unstoppable force at the Manchester Half, as they dragged a 50kg dummy from start to finish in support of The Christie cancer charity. The trio were motivated to undertake the physically exhausting challenge after their friend, Charlotte Jones, who sadly passed away from cancer this year at 32 years old.

“There was never a time when I thought we wouldn’t make it” said Chris, who was involved in the organisation of the endeavour.

“Even when we had an issue with the dummy (which made it very difficult to move) in the second half of the event which caused us physical pain, we kept saying that our pain is minimal compared to what people with cancer and their families go through. We knew that our suffering was temporary – and this mentality is what helped us get over the finish line”.

The trio were out on the course for 8 hours and had a heartfelt moment when finished the event. Chris praised the event organisers for accommodating their challenge in what was described as a ‘smooth process’.

You can donate to The Christie on the group’s JustGiving page to support cancer sufferers.

Nick Owen (fastest billiard player)

Nick Owen shot for Guiness World Record of fastest man dressed as a billiard player at the Manchester Half on Sunday. With the current time being 1 hour and 42 minutes – and Nick’s official chip time of 01:30:48 – it looks like he blew the record out of the water (although officials need to review his attempt before the time can be officially recognised).

Nick said the following after the event:

“I absolutely loved the challenge. The support was amazing, and I definitely caught the crowd’s attention with cue in hand. My fellow participants also supported me, and I got a lot of ‘Go on Ronnie’ comments (after snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan!) It got a bit warm in the shirt and trousers from the halfway point, but I am just chuffed with my time and achievement. Medals were a nice touch too, and I loved my rainbow one!”

Well done Nick and we can’t wait to hear about your next challenge soon!

Lindsay Armauo (B*Witched singer!)

Lindsay Armaou from B*Witched ran for Breast Cancer Now and was blown away by her experience at the event.

“What an experience! It was so amazing to be part of this event, there was an overwhelming community spirit which made it very powerful and touching. I saw my family around mile 10 which was emotional as you suddenly remember all the reasons you’re doing this. For me, it was a challenge I set myself to get myself out of a difficult mindset I was in at the start of the year. I needed a goal. Then someone close to me was affected by breast cancer so I knew I wanted to run it for Breast Cancer Now. Their aim is to have no deaths by breast cancer by ten years from now. Thanks to all the team at MCRHalf it was a seamless event and so well organised”.

Well done Lindsay – a pleasure to have you at our event.

Finlay Menzies

18 year old Finlay Menzies smashed his half marathon time to finish in a speedy time of 1 hour 39 minutes. The Duke of Edinburgh Youth Ambassador, who has cerebral palsy, used a frame runner to help with his mobility and co-ordination during the event. At the finish line, Finlay told us a bit more about his motivation for running at the event:

“I ran to show that disability doesn’t necessarily have to pose limits for what you can and can’t do. Many disabled people can still take part in opportunities like this one. You might have to make a few adjustments, but you can still challenge yourself to achieve what you are capable of”.

“I raised money for the DofE (Duke of Edinburgh) who create opportunities for young people to go out, explore the world, develop their skills and be involved in their communities.”

What fantastic work – well done to Finlay and his mum Gill, who always ran at the event.

Caitlín Rafferty

Back in April, Caitlín had planned to run the Manchester Marathon and raise money for Macmillan nurses. However, following a routine smear test earlier this year, it was discovered that she herself had cervical cancer. For obvious reasons she had to pull out. A few months later, Caitlín was able to set her sights on the Half Marathon instead:

“It’s been a difficult summer and I was unsure if I’d make it to the start line. I can’t thank my friends and family enough for everything they’ve done for me, I wouldn’t have been able to run today without them”.

“It was a very emotional run but I enjoyed every minute. I cannot believe how generous people have been through donations; each one kept me going knowing the difference it could make to other people’s lives. I’ve currently raised over £3000 for Macmillan, The Christie and Jo’s Trust”.

“If anyone is worried about their smear tests (which is completely normal!) I would encourage you to go, bring a friend or reward yourself with a treat. It will always be worth it.”