Thousands of runners take on the Manchester Marathon challenge
More than 13,000 runners tackled the 26.2 mile course on Sunday
More than 13,000 runners from across the globe descended on Manchester this Sunday to take on the Greater Manchester Marathon challenge.
Starting and finishing at the Emirates Old Trafford, the 26.2 mile course has been described as the friendliest - and flattest - in the country.
The course took the runners to Altrincham and back, with a mixture of elite athletes aiming to hit the 2 minute mark, and amateur runners raising money for charity.
The instant frontrunner was Kenyan athlete Shadrak Tanui, who brushed aside his opponents to win in a time of 02:21:17.
While the female winner was Dani Nimmock, who had previously recorded a personal best at the Great North Run and went on to place 31st overall here in Manchester, with a time of 02:38:24.
Among the runners was Claire Lomas, who was paralysed from the chest down in a freak horse riding accident. She was given a bionic suit a number of years ago and managed to complete the London Marathon by walking while using the suit.
After completing that challenge in 17 days, she decided to use Manchester as the stage to break that record.
One of the main points a number of the runners noticed was the atmosphere and the support of the Manchester crowd. Huge banners, posters and pictures were on display up and down the course and at the finish line, there was a line of well-wishes at least five deep waiting to welcome the athletes at the finish line.
Eyes have already turned to the 2019 marathon, with 5,000 places up for grabs as early as this coming Tuesday.