Enter We Love MCRs 10k Run and win up to £200 to spend on eating out
As anyone who has got into running over lockdown will tell you - when you are putting in the hard yards the last stretch is the toughest.
The same is true of lockdown. Now that the finishing line (and by finishing line we mean lovely pubs and bars) is tantalisingly close it seems all the more challenging to muster up the interest in one's daily walk.
Luckily, the charity We Love MCR has a great solution if you are tired of trudging round the same old park (or car park).
Running the city
From 29 March (subject to review) some government restrictions will be eased, permitting people to travel into Manchester’s city centre for exercise. And while we might not be able to grab a pint we can still enjoy some of our favourite spots in this beautiful city.
The Landmarks of Manchester 10k route allows runners and walkers to complete a circular route that takes you past some of Manchester's most iconic sites. It's the history tour you always thought about doing but were too busy.
While the streets are still free of crowds you can run, walk (or walk and break into the occasional run, up to you) past Central Library, via the Chinese Arch in Chinatown, heading down and the Rutherford Building, where Ernest Rutherford first split the atom and the National Computing Centre, where Alan Turing helped to create the first programmable computer and don't forget the Vimto Statue, honouring the region’s purple nectar
To enter, visit the Landmarks of Manchester 10k website or the We Love MCR Charity website. The charity will then send you a welcome pack including an A3 colour map of the run, guidance on how to take part safely and top tips for raising sponsorship.
There will also be a competition to crown the best Selfie or video submitted by a Landmarks runner. The Lord Mayor of Manchester will review the entries and the two that best capture the spirit of the event will win either £100 credit on the Manchester Confidential app - which equates to £200 worth of vouchers to use on a selection of Manchester restaurants - or a £75 voucher for the legendary Rudy’s Pizzeria.
Celebrating our history
Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Tommy Judge launched the Landmarks of Manchester 10k today (18 March). He said:
“Now is the perfect time to fall in love with our city again! The Landmarks of Manchester 10k route will take you past some of the most significant places in our incredible history. We’re blessed with such diverse heritage and rich scientific breakthroughs – this 10k run will help us all to uncover and celebrate our history. Please take part as a walker or a runner, and please raise some sponsorship for We Love MCR Charity – a great charity which I’m proud to Chair”
The Landmarks 10k isn't an officially measured and registered 10k course, and people should only run or walk it either alone or with members of their own household, until restrictions on this change. Participants should always follow the current government guidelines on Covid-19 restrictions. The event is open from 29 March to 31 July 2021.
Some of the 14 landmarks include
- Canal Street
- The Chinese Arch in Chinatown
- Central Library
- The Hacienda site
- Curry Mile in Rusholme
- The Pankhurst Centre
- The Rutherford Building
- The National Computing Centre
So strap on your We Love MCR-themed trainers and start to feel the love again. The finishing line really is in sight.
More about We Love MCR
We Love MCR Charity was founded as the Lord Mayor of Manchester's Charity Appeal Fund in 1997 and adopted the iconic We Love MCR Charity branding in 2011.
This year We Love MCR Charity has launched two flagship grants programmes -
- Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund - supporting ambitious young Mancunians with grants of up to £2,000 to enable them to take their next steps to success in qualifications, work and entrepreneurship
- Stronger Communities Fund – supporting local communities with grants of up to £5,000 to improve life and opportunities in their neighbourhoods
- Plus an additional programme supporting charities through the pandemic. THe Covid-19 Community Response Fund enables local charities to request and receive funding for urgent work to combat problems caused or exacerbated by the pandemic. It has since awarded nearly £1 million to 312 Manchester voluntary groups and charities, supporting over 50,000 Mancunians
All sponsorship raised from the Landmarks of Manchester virtual 10k will go directly to support ambitious communities and young Mancunians who know how they can improve their lives as we emerge from the pandemic.
