Nova International’s BUPA Great Manchester Run has helped the people of Manchester enjoy great sport action and raise millions for charity. The company has also supported the development of the running on the Manchester Peace Park from MAK’s first run on the Peace Park site in 2006 through to the introduction of the 2011 Kosova Half Marathon.
Several thousand participants now run in Podujeva, Kosovo and the new fixture is supported by KAF and all athletics clubs in Kosova.
Nova International Race Director Charlie Mussett and Marketing Manager David Hart travelled to Kosovo in 2006. Working with MAK, the Municipality of Podujeva, and local athletics leaders, they introduced a safe fun run with a parallel 10K elite race. The elite winners were invited by Nova International to run in both the Great Manchester Run and the longer Great North Run – unforgettable experiences for the athletes who ran alongside Olympic medalists. Kosova’s fastest runners, Meriton Hasanaj and Gresa Bakraçi ran in Manchester with the international elite in 2012 and 13. Fifteen year old Llapi Athletics Club star Rita Hajdini, from Podujeva, was invited to run in the 2013 Junior event and came second, receiving her cup from Kim Collins. Contact MaK to sponsor our runners.
The Great Manchester Run, Britain’s premier 10K mass participation road running event, held every May, attracts over 30,000 participants. Young athletics leaders from Kosovo benefitted greatly from an invitation to participate in the preparation and organisation of the Great Manchester Run, the first 10k event in Europe and only the second in the world to be categorised as one of the world’s leading road races with the award of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Gold Label status.
In 2009 Manchester continued to present international sport with an even larger series of major events. This double whammy of sporting excellence featured the world’s fastest two runners – distance supremo Haile Gebrselassie and sprint king Usain Bolt; neither man disappointed! Gebrselassie won the 10k in a fast time and Bolt set a new world record in the innovative Great Manchester 150 city centre street race.
MaK is proud to run a team of 25 runners in the Great Manchester Run each year and a water station team. In 2010, MAK hosted its first Manchester music Great Run stage, repeated every year since. The stage was curated by The Travelling Band, several of whom also ran for MAK.
Young people medically evacuated to Manchester with multiple gun-shot injuries have been aided in their recovery through running both in Manchester and Podujevë. They have not only had a great deal of fun but gained stamina, fitness and raised sponsorship to create the Manchester Peace Park dedicated to their own family and community.
Sports sponsorship in excess of £20,000 means Manchester running constitutes a major source of MAK income, exceeded only by Manchester music.
MAK is extremely grateful for the ongoing support of Nova International Operations Director Charlie Mussett, Marketing Manager David Hart and Nova CEO, Olympic Medallist, Brendan Foster.
