The Manchester Marathon kicks into gear this weekend with an expected turnout of tens of thousands of participants. As runners prepare to tackle the 26.2 mile route through the city, many may be concerned over the recent lack of sun and warm weather.
With a rich history dating back as far as 1908, the annual event has become a destination for keen runners from all over the country who are looking to nail a personal best.
This year, the running event is hosting the qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games, which will take place in Birmingham later this year. Some of the county’s best endurance runners will take the famous course through Greater Manchester to compete for a spot on the England team for 2022.
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Ahead of the marathon, which takes place on Sunday, April 3, we've taken a look at the latest weather forecast to help you plan ahead.
What will the weather be like this weekend?
Cold temperatures and wintery showers are to be expected across much of the north this weekend, according to the Met Office. After a recent spell of warm weather and sunshine, runners may be disappointed to hear that a much chillier race is likely on Sunday.
Starting as early as 8.10am, the first wave of runners are likely to experience some cold temperatures in the morning but nothing a quick warmup can't shake off. Unfortunately, there is not likely to be much sun in the sky on Sunday and temperatures will remain relatively cool throughout the whole morning and afternoon.
The Met Office has predicted that the morning will be extremely cold, with temperatures reaching as low as 1C at 8am and only slightly increasing to 3C at 9am then 4C at 10am. Fortunately, there will be an extremely low chance of rain and low wind speeds so the run won't be made any more difficult than it already is.
Moving into the afternoon, temperatures will increase slightly, reaching a peak of 9C by 2pm. But, these warmer temperatures will be accompanied by a slight increase in wind speeds, peaking at 10mph which will remain consistent well into the evening.
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