On Sunday 19th April 2026, our MD James Biggin took on the Manchester Marathon alongside more than 42,000 runners in one of the UK’s biggest running events.
With the route stretching from Old Trafford to Altrincham before finishing in Manchester city centre, conditions were ideal for a fast race, and James certainly made the most of them.
After achieving a 10-minute personal best at the York Marathon last October (2:45:53), James earned selection to represent England Masters in the “Home Nations” event. That performance also meant starting the Manchester Marathon in the white wave, just behind the elite runners.
Running alongside the 2:45 pacer from the start, James managed to hold the pace all the way through to the finish line, crossing in an impressive new personal best time of 2:44:50.
The result saw him finish 229th overall and 5th in his age category.
Speaking after the race, James said: “I wasn’t planning to push for that time, given that I’m running the Chicago Marathon in October with my wife, but the conditions were perfect. There was no wind, it wasn’t too warm, and training had gone well.
Running with the pacer made it stress-free until those last two tough miles. It was such a great, well-supported event. There was so much noise, music, bands, DJs, and the volunteers were brilliant. That’s how to do it, Manchester!”
The time also secures James a guaranteed entry into the Berlin Marathon 2027.
With Chicago Marathon still to come later this year, James says the pressure is now off slightly when it comes to chasing times. As one of the world’s Marathon Majors, Chicago is one he is looking forward to enjoying, although knowing James, there will probably still be an eye on improving that PB even further!
James has spoken previously about how many of the lessons from sport can also apply within business – from consistency and preparation to mindset and teamwork. If you missed it, you can also read our recent blog exploring what sport can teach businesses about team culture and leadership.
Congratulations James from all the team at Steel City Marketing
