People running on road at Manchester Marathon

Beatrice McKenzie

It is officially marathon season. Every weekend another city hosts thousands of eager runners whose months of training culminates in the 26.2 mile race.

Marathons are a truly all-encompassing display of human emotion and ability. If you ever begin to lose hope at the state of humanity, marathon spectating will show you the best in people as strangers cheer on strangers and runners push themselves to the very limits of athletic ability.

Every single person who ran a marathon this Spring has their own inspiring story – simply the fact they trained enough, worked hard enough and believed in themselves enough to complete the marathon.

Here are just a few stand-out stories of the thousands of remarkable individuals who ran the Manchester Marathon held on 14 April this year.

1. Lynda Elmore, Final Finisher

Lynda Elmore shot to fame over social media after thousands saw footage of her crossing the finish line as the final runner of the Manchester Marathon.

She completed her 24th marathon despite falling and injuring herself at 9 miles. Courageous as ever, she reached the finish line after 7 hours and 18 minutes.

Elmore said: “You get yourself up, feel a little bit embarrassed, couple of people help you up and then you shake yourself off then you realise your hip hurts, your elbow hurts, you’ve jarred a bit of your shoulder.”

Her remarkable strength struck the hearts of the 4 million people who viewed her video on Facebook. The response was truly overwhelming. More than 5,000 people commented on the video praising Elmore for her perseverance and commitment.

Elmore encouraged others, saying: “Get out there, put your trainers on and never give up.”

2. Mike and Ed, Barefoot Runners

When pictures of Mike and Ed surfaced on social media dressed in full Flintstone attire, many were shocked to see them running completely barefoot.

The idea for the challenge came from Mike’s experience running an Iron Man barefoot after his shoes began to hurt during the race. Mike transformed the pain into incredible determination, deciding to run the marathon barefoot to raise money.

The pair finished the race in a respectable time of 05:43:02, clutching each other across the finish line. Imagine what they could do with shoes!

Mike said: “We are both so glad to have done this challenge and our pain was nothing compared to those being supported by the foundations we work with.”

3. Tim Wheeler, “Scissorman”

Equipped with a 10kg pair of scissors strapped to his back, 62-year-old Tim Wheeler completed his 8th Manchester Marathon dressed as ‘Scissorman’.

Tim has been raising money for the Little Princess Trust since it was established in 2005. The parents of one of his former students at Stockport Grammar, Hannah Tarplee, founded the charity after she sadly passed away from cancer. The charity has provided 15,000 wigs for children with cancer who experience hair loss.

Wheeler said: “Over the years, I have been fortunate to raise thousands of pounds for the charity. Fundraising inevitably becomes more difficult with repeated events, so I focus more on raising the charity’s profile now.

“There’s such an electric atmosphere around the course, and I have some great conversations about the charity along the way!”

Wheeler’s costume certainly caught the eye of his fellow runners, allowing him to spread the word of the charity further and share their work with even more people.

He also recently ran the London Marathon dressed as ‘Scissorman’ and appeared as his alter ago at the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon earlier this month.

4. Martin Webster, two-time cancer survivor

Martin Webster is a two-time cancer survivor and now a marathon runner. He was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2009 and thyroid cancer 10 years later in 2019.

After receiving treatment from Manchester’s The Christie Hospital, Webster chose to give back by raising money for the Christie Charity. His running journey began after he received the ‘all clear’ from his cancer treatment. The marathon is a true testament to his determination and courage.

Webster said: “I feel like I’ve been given another opportunity to live and I don’t want to waste it for another second!

“I know that completing the adidas Manchester Marathon will give me a huge sense of achievement of how far I’ve come.”

5. Yahya Pandor, Record-Breaking Blind Runner

Yahya Pandor was 25 when he lost his sight during lockdown and his world completely transformed.

The now 28-year-old said: “You lose the magnificent sky, the lush grass and the blossoming trees. It robs you of the beautiful details on your loved one’s faces; the special looks that were just for you; and mundane normal things like being able to read a menu or a street sign.”

Pandor made history as the first blind person in the world to run a marathon untethered. His time was equally impressive at 4 hours and 22 minutes. Throughout the race, Pandor’s guide George described the route, alerting him of any corners or bumps in the path.

Pandor’s achievement has truly broken down barriers for blind people, demonstrating anything is possible through determination and trust in yourself.

He said: “I hope my record attempt will inspire blind and visually impaired people to get active and take on physical challenges, whether big or small. We should not be underestimated!”

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Featured image courtesy of Miguel A Amutio via Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

Beatrice is a recent graduate in Spanish and English Literature from the University of Leeds. She is currently working in marketing within the education sector.

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