Olympian Keely Hodgkinson will be the official starter for The Great Manchester Run

Keely skyrocketed to fame after her amazing 800M race in the Paris Olympic Games last year which saw her take home the gold.

This year over 35,000 participants will be taking part in the run which is the most people in over a decade! The run includes both a 10K and a half marathon.

Keely Hodgkinson (who recently won BBC Sport Personality of the Year) is following in the footsteps of some of the greats who have previously been the official starters of the event such as: Jessica Ennis-Hill, Usain Bolt and Sir Alex Ferguson to name a few.

She said: BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024, Keely added: “Running in Manchester runs in my blood, my mum and dad were both huge club and distance runners locally and they inspired me to follow in their footsteps. I can’t wait to start this year’s Great Manchester Run, not only to set some of the world’s best runners on their way, but also the thousands of fellow Mancunians who share my love of running!”

Sir Brendan Foster, President of The Great Run Company, said: “Keely was the star of the show last summer at the Paris Olympics. Her determination to win had everyone on the edge of their seats – it was thrilling to watch and a proud moment for the whole British Athletics community!”

It is expected that more than 100,000 people will be watching the run take place and you can watch the action live on the BBC from 11am to 1pm.