Runners, spectators unite against terror

TENS of thousands of runners and spectators from Manchester and further afield packed the city yesterday in an impressive show of defiance days after a suicide bomb killed 22 people and left dozens wounded.

American Dathan Ritzenhein and Ethiopian great Tirunesh Dibaba won the men’s and women’s Great Manchester Run races respectively after all the competitors observed a minute’s silence and poet Tony Walsh read out a poem including the line ‘Do something the city will remember’.

“There is a spirit and history of community here. Choose love,” Walsh told the BBC prior to reading his poem.

The races – with over 30 000 runners young and old taking part – took place with the British Government having lowered the terror level from critical to severe on Saturday. Some of the star names such as Peter Hook – bassist for iconic Manchester band Joy Division evolving into New Order – and former boxing world champion Anthony Crolla had had relatives caught up in the bombing at the Manchester Arena on Monday.

Hook – running in his 11th Great Manchester Run – said his daughter Jessica had been at the Ariana Grande concert and his wife had become distraught when she took the call to be told there had been an incident – fortunately for them it all ended well.

“It is important to support people and the grieving families,” he told the BBC.

“Fortunately our 18-yearold daughter Jessica arrived home before it was on the television.

“Physically she was fine but she’s suffered all week in other ways.” — AFP