Alex Durant and Molly Smith won England’s men’s and women’s half-marathon titles at the ASICS Manchester Half on October 4, 2026. Their victories came at a record-sized event that brought about 32,000 runners through Greater Manchester.

Durant, representing City of Sheffield AC, won the men’s championship in 1:02:51. Molly Smith of Herne Hill Harriers took the women’s title in 1:11:42, according to England Athletics.

Two close championship races

Durant held off Omar Ahmed by six seconds. Ahmed finished in 1:02:57, while Max Milarvie completed the men’s podium in 1:03:03.

Smith also faced a close contest. Annabel Gummow finished second in 1:12:01. Verity Hopkins took bronze in 1:12:11.

Manchester combined two national championship races with one of the largest mass-participation fields in the event’s history.

Wheelchair racing adds another highlight

Nathan Maguire won the men’s wheelchair race in 47:01. The Kirkby AC athlete had also won Commonwealth Games gold earlier in 2026.

Scotland’s Sean Frame finished second in 48:04. Anton Shepherd was third in 54:31.

Roz Delap won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:12:13. Abi Hession finished second in 1:16:22.

A record field across Greater Manchester

Organisers reported about 32,000 participants, making the 2026 race the biggest field in the event’s history. The course passed through Trafford, Stretford, Sale and Chorlton-cum-Hardy before the finish on Talbot Road.

RunABC reported that roughly one in four runners was completing an official half marathon for the first time. Based on the reported field size, that represents about 8,000 runners.

The scale of the event put first-time runners, club athletes and charity participants alongside national-level competitors. The elite results mattered, but they were only one part of Manchester’s largest running weekend.

Why the result matters locally

Durant and Smith gave England two national champions on a course filled with runners from across the region. The wheelchair victories added a significant para-sport dimension to the programme.

For Greater Manchester supporters, the event combined elite competition with broad community participation. It showed how a national championship can sit inside a mass race without losing either its high-performance focus or its welcome for first-time runners.

The 2026 ASICS Manchester Half took place on Sunday, October 4. England Athletics published its championship report on Monday, October 5.