Xtra Mile Events, organiser of the Manchester Half Marathon, has confirmed that international sporting goods retailer Intersport is now on board as Official Sports Retail Partner for the inaugural race on Sunday 16 October 2016.
With more than 5,400 retailers in 46 countries, Intersport boasts a worldwide leading position in the sporting goods retail market. With its tagline ‘Sport to the People’ and a belief that a healthy lifestyle should be available to everyone, the retailer is seen as a perfect match for the Manchester Half Marathon, which is bringing a popular race distance to one of the UK’s sporting hubs.
Intersport DW Sports in Manchester will be running the partnership activation with the Manchester Half Marathon. As a leading sports performance retail store in Manchester, Intersport DW Sports is ‘committed to offering customers the best products by the best brands to ensure maximum enjoyment’.
Those running the Manchester Half Marathon can call on Intersport’s service and advice in the run up to the city’s highly anticipated 13.1-mile race.
The Manchester Half Marathon is billed as one of the UK’s flattest and fastest half marathons, with only 41m elevation gain and a 2 mile+ finish straight – making it well-positioned for first time marathon runners and an opportunity for professional athletes to achieve a PB. Among the elite runners will be last year’s British Half Marathon Champion Jess Coulson.
The race starts and finishes at Emirates Old Trafford Lancashire County Cricket Club, the same venue as the popular ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon, and the organisers are ‘promising plenty of entertainment and outstanding crowd support’.
Race Director Simon Hill said, “We are delighted to have Intersport as our official Sports Retail Partner for the inaugural Manchester Half Marathon. We both share the same vision of making sport available to everyone, which is why we introduced a half marathon to Manchester in the first place: many people love the 13.1-mile distance as it is a superb achievement without having to run a full marathon.
“With Intersport on board, we know that we can appeal to many people who love sport for the enjoyment it brings. We are very much looking forward to working with Intersport DW Sports in Manchester.
He continued, “With less than three months until race day, the Manchester Half Marathon is selling fantastically. We would encourage anyone hoping to be on the start line to secure their place soon.”
General Manager of Intersport UK & Ireland, Tom Foley, commented, “It is exciting for Intersport to be partnering with the very first Manchester Half Marathon, and we are looking forward to being involved in a day of sporting achievement and incredible atmosphere. This partnership reflects our commitment to provide ‘Sport to the People’ by supporting runners as they work towards their goals and achieve their dreams.”
The Manchester Half Marathon is supporting three National Charity Partners: Alzheimer’s Society, British Heart Foundation and Save the Children. The two Local Charity Partners are The Christie charity and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH).
The Manchester Half Marathon will take runners on wide, closed roads through Old Trafford, Stretford, Brooklands and Sale. Entry costs £33, with £1 per runner going into the Trafford Athlete Fund, which was set up to benefit gifted and talented young athletes in the Trafford borough.
A total of 12,000 places are available for the Manchester Half Marathon 2016. Entries are open and runners can sign up at the race’s website, which includes links to the official charities.
www.manchesterhalfmarathon.com
