Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, returns to the starter’s platform of the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run on Sunday 31 May, to start the elite women’s race. Joining her on official starter duties is former rugby league star Kevin Sinfield CBE, renowned for his feats of physical endurance in aid of motor neurone disease (MND) research, and actor, writer, producer and Alzheimer’s Society ambassador Sally Lindsay MBE.
The trio will be responsible for sending 38,000 runners on their way to greatness, with the Half Marathon waves setting off first before the televised 10K event, which includes a world class elite race, follows later in the morning.
Kelly, a Solgar ambassador, made history at the 2004 Athens Olympics taking double gold in both the 800M and 1500M, cementing her place in the annals as one of only three British women to ever win the 800M Olympic title. This achievement was celebrated in 2025 when the three legends were brought together on the Great Manchester Run start line, meeting for the very first time. Kelly was joined by Ann Brightwell Packer, who took gold in Tokyo 1964, and Manchester born Keely Hodgkinson, the star of Paris 2024.
Kevin Sinfield CBE is a former professional rugby league player and current England Rugby Union coach who has raised millions of pounds for MND research. Following his teammate Rob Burrow’s diagnosis with MND, Sinfield gained widespread admiration for his relentless fundraising by completing a series of gruelling endurance challenges.
Kevin is best known for his “7 in 7” running challenges, where he completes a series of ultramarathons over consecutive days, most recently running over 300km in 7 days across the UK and Ireland in 2025. After starting this year’s Great Manchester Run, Kevin will then join a team of 50 runners taking on the 10K route around the city, running for the MND Association.
Alzheimer’s Society is the official charity of the Great Run Series 2026, nominated by AJ Bell, the series title partner. Ambassador Sally Lindsay MBE is best known for ITV’s detective series Scott & Bailey, iconic soap Coronation Street, BBC’s Still Open All Hours, as well as starring and producing Channel 5 series Madame Blanc.
Stockport born Sally became an Ambassador in 2007 after her grandmother Ellen, known as Nellie, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 60 and later died aged 70. Sally has been a passionate and dedicated supporter of Alzheimer’s Society ever since. From becoming one of the charity’s first Dementia Friends to championing fundraising initiatives such as Trek26 and the Forget Me Not Appeal, she has consistently used her platform to help raise awareness of the charity’s work delivering vital support services, funding pioneering research and campaigning relentlessly for change.
This year’s starters join a long list of legends who have performed official starting duties at the Great Manchester Run including Usain Bolt, Haile Gebrselassie, Jessica Ennis Hill and Sir Alex Ferguson.
The 2026 Great Manchester Run will be biggest ever, with over 40,000 runners set to take part across the weekend, which includes the Junior & Mini kids events on Saturday 30 May in Sportcity.
Starting on Portland Street, the course passes some of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks all along the route, including Old Trafford, the Etihad Stadium, Imperial War Museum & Salford Quays, before a grandstand finish on Deansgate. More than 150,000 spectators are expected to line the streets in support, with the action also broadcast live on BBC TWO from 11am to 1pm.
This year’s Great Manchester Run is now sold out but if you’re inspired to take part – register now for 2027 at greatrun.org/manchester.
