Manchester’s first-ever Podium 5K athletics race is set to come to Tameside this month, bringing some of the UK’s fastest runners to Ashton-under-Lyne.
The SportsShoes Podium 5K, organised by online running retailer SportShoes.com in partnership with Nike, will take place at Tameside Cycle Circuit on Sunday, August 16.
The event is the first of its kind to be held in Manchester and is expected to attract competitive runners from across the North West and beyond, with athletes aiming to achieve personal bests over 5,000 metres and one mile.
Since launching in 2023, the SportsShoes Podium series has built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading graded 5K events, attracting thousands of runners, including Olympians Emile Cairess, Beth Potter, Alex Yee and Narve Nordas.
The Manchester meeting will feature a series of graded 5K races, primarily aimed at runners capable of finishing in under 21 minutes, although organisers say athletes of all abilities are welcome. One-mile races will also be held throughout the day, with the first event getting underway at 1pm.
Races are organised using a graded format, with runners of similar ability competing together to create evenly matched fields and increase the chances of fast times.
The event has a proven record of producing top performances, with both the Welsh 5K record and the British Under-20 5K record being broken at last year’s Podium Festival in Leicester.
Among those expected to compete in the women’s races are Almaz Nerukar, Holly Weedall, Esme Davies, Lizzie Wellsted, Holly Dixon and Jemima Elgood. The men’s field includes Elyas Ayyoub and Finley Proffitt.
Mia France, race coordinator for SportsShoes Podium, said: “Manchester has a fantastic running community so we are very pleased to be able to bring our first ever Podium event to the city.
“Tameside Cycle Circuit gives us the type of fast, flat track that we know is perfect for the kind of racing we want to provide runners with.
“Working together with our long-term race partner Nike, we will give runners across the city and the wider North West the opportunity to show up, race hard and chase quick times.”
Away from the track, spectators and competitors can enjoy a festival atmosphere with performance nutrition brand Puresport, alongside food and drink vendors including North Pizza and Kickback Coffee.
Entries for the event have now closed, but spectators can still attend to watch some of the country’s top distance runners compete at Tameside Cycle Circuit.