Meet wheelchair competitors taking on Manchester Marathon 2021

The Therme Manchester Marathon is set to take place this weekend which will see thousands of participants take to the streets for the 26.2 mile challenge.

In November 2017, 26-year-old Claudia Burrough started getting into running through Parkrun and continued to build up her distance and improve her times.

In what she says was a moment of madness Claudia signed up for a half marathon and the 2019 London Marathon - something she’d always dreamed of doing.

But less than a year later, Claudia became a wheelchair user and the marathon was put on the back burner.

Fast forward to April 2019, Claudia lined up on the start line with 50,000 runners ready to complete the London Marathon and is now a Harlequins Wheelchair Rugby player.

Having signed up to take part in the Therme Manchester Marathon before the coronavirus pandemic, Claudia can’t wait to take on the city of Manchester.

Known as the flattest marathon course in the UK, Mum Joanne Lee says it will make all the difference running with her 21-year-old daughter Alice who has the CASK gene mutation, which Joanne says affects every part of her life.

Like Claudia, Joanne believes it’s important that running events like the Manchester Marathon are inclusive to everybody, whether you are able to run it on your own or need assistance like Alice.