Sport
Half price entry offer to Run Heaton Park and raise funds for Francis House Children’s Hospice
Runners are being offered half price entry fees on a series of races at Heaton Park in return for raising funds for children’s hospice care.
With the first event just a month away on Sunday December 1, places are being snapped up for a 5k, 10k and half marathon as part of the Run Heaton Park series for which Francis House Children’s Hospice is the official charity partner.
Heaton Park in Higher Blackley boasts the biggest and best park in the North West and is home to Heaton Hall a Grade 1 listed neoclassical 18th-century house.
Participants aged 11 and above will receive 50% off the entry fee – £12 for the 5k, £13 for the 10k, and £14 for the half marathon in return for pledging to raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship.
The first event is scheduled for Sunday, 1st December 2024, followed by additional runs on 12th January, 30th March, 5th October, and 30th November 2025.
James Ferguson, fundraising officer of Francis House said: “Run Heaton Park in support of Francis House offers an incredible opportunity for our community to come together, get active, and make a real difference to the lives of the children and families who rely on the compassionate care provided by their local children’s hospice.
“As the charity sponsor, we are excited to support runners of all abilities, whether they are tackling the 5k, 10k, or half marathon.”
Francis House provides appropriate respite and end of life care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses and the necessary support and short-term care for their families. It supports approximately 2,000 people at any one time with respite care, homecare, sibling support, end of life care and emotional and bereavement support.
The race route is an undulating 5km course on tarmac paths within Heaton Park, M25 2SW. Starting in the centre of the park, the first 2km consists of a flat section around the Heaton Park lake. Between 2 and 3 kilometres, some challenging hills take participants around Heaton Hall with spectacular views of Manchester. A welcome downhill section completes the lap. The 5k is 1 lap, 10k is 2 laps, and Half Marathon is 4 laps with an additional out and back section at the start.
Run Heaton Park races are operated by RunThrough Events. All races are chip-timed, and every finisher will receive a themed medal. In addition anyone running for Francis House will receive a Francis House branded running t-shirt, fundraising pack and in person support on the day.
Matt Wood, Co-Founder of RunThrough, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership with Francis House Hospice: “We are thrilled to partner with Francis House Hospice for the Run Heaton Park race. Their incredible work supporting children and families in need makes this collaboration truly special.
“Running has always been about more than just the race—it’s about coming together to make a difference. We’re excited to help runners take on the challenge while supporting such a meaningful cause.”
Charity place registration closes 10 days before each event. For more information and to sign up visit the Francis House website https://www.francishouse.org.uk/get-involved/events/run-heaton-park-5k-10k-half-marathon/
Motorsports
How new darker track surface could be defining factor in Brazilian GP
Formula 1 teams and tyre supplier Pirelli have arrived at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix braced for a more unpredictable weekend than normal.
While the track layout itself is unchanged from previous years, what is different is the asphalt – which has been completely resurfaced since last year’s event.
Newly laid tracks add a huge degree of uncertainty at grands prix, as teams are never sure about the impact it can have on grip levels.
At some venues in the past – perhaps most famously Turkey in 2020 – if the track has not been treated properly then it can trigger a massive drop in grip and cause huge headaches for drivers and teams.
At the other end of the spectrum, a new surface that offers some decent grip but has not been rubbered in can result in cars sliding a bit more, which has a negative impact on tyre degradation.
What Brazil will deliver is hard to be sure of right now, with the final answer only coming from the first practice session when drivers get to run out on track for the first time.
As Alpine‘s Esteban Ocon said: “This weekend there’s new challenges ahead, a lot of unknowns for everyone, looking at how the tarmac is and the degradation. How it can be and the grip level? We don’t know.”
Sets of Medium and Hard Pirelli tyres used by McLaren
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
What the first data says
There are some early signs though of what to expect – and it points towards an especially exciting F1 weekend.
Early analysis from Pirelli’s engineers of the Brazil surface shows that there are no major alarm bells ringing over the grip on offer.
Motorsport.com has learned that the micro-roughness of the Interlagos surface shows a 46% drop compared to last year, with macro roughness indicating a 30% drop.
That would point towards the track in theory offering less grip than last year, which could result in more sliding and therefore higher tyre temperatures and more degradation.
But a deeper dive into the overall grip levels, based on the chemical adhesion interaction of the track/tyre, has shown that the situation is not actually too different to previous years.
Brazil has traditionally not been a venue that offers a lot of grip, and some of the data collected ahead of the weekend suggests that some corners may actually be an improvement on before.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR23
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
The darker surface
This first snapshot of data points then towards the new surface maybe not leading to a dramatically different weekend.
However, there is another interesting element that has popped up and could actually have the biggest impact on how things turn out – and that is the colour of the new asphalt.
The new surface is very black, and that means that it will absorb the sun’s temperature much more than the old washed-out grey surface that was used up until last year.
Pirelli’s first analysis of the variation in temperature of the track surface has already pointed to things being quite dramatic – and the early afternoon on Thursday had already registered it nudging towards 60C.
Higher track temps have a direct impact on tyres temperatures, and can help amplify any thermal degradation – which is always a factor around the Interlagos track because of its layout.
The higher temps could then force teams to shift towards the harder compounds for both the sprint and the grand prix, but this choice is slightly complicated by the selections on offer this weekend.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14, leads Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C43
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
First of all, Pirelli has opted to shift its compounds one step softer than last year, so the 2023 soft is the 2024 medium.
Then secondly, with Brazil being a sprint weekend, the tyre allocation is different – with two sets of hards, four sets of mediums and six sets of softs available.
The likelihood is that the 2024 soft is not going to be a suitable race tyre – so is only really good for qualifying.
That then means teams are going to have to manage very carefully how they distribute their tyres across the sprint and the main grand prix – knowing full well that they cannot compromise what they need for Sunday.
What teams will need to understand quickly from practice is if the medium is going to hold on enough for the 24 laps of the sprint. Last year that tyre (which was the soft in 2023) did cope – but if degradation is worse this time around it could make things difficult.
If the medium isn’t good enough, then that could make life extremely complicated for the race that is normally a two-stopper.
If teams need to run the hard in the sprint, then that would leave them short for the grand prix – so Saturday could be especially intriguing.
What this all means is an especially complicated race weekend and one where rain could yet throw extra uncertainty into the mix.
Sport
Ellen Wille: Speech that changed course of women’s football
Female footballers around the world were fighting many battles for recognition and facing significant resistance from those inside and outside the game, epitomised by the lack of support from the sport’s own world governing body.
At the start of the 1970s, the Football Association in England had ended a five-decade ban on women’s football.
The first unofficial Women’s World Cup was held in 1970 in Italy and a year later another unofficial global tournament was held in Mexico, attracting crowds of more than 100,000, but neither of those competitions was supported by Fifa.
Wille, who was herself an amateur footballer, had joined the NFF in 1976 – the same year it had given its approval to women’s football in the country – and she was not prepared to accept the status quo.
“I said ‘we must have a World Championship for women and we have to be a participant in the Olympic Games’,” she explained.
Her colleagues at the NFF decided she should go to Fifa’s congress which was being held that year in Mexico City – incidentally the same city that hosted the unofficial 1971 global tournament – and make a speech about women’s football.
“They thought it would mean more if a woman did it and not a man,” Wille said. She did not hesitate.
But come the morning of the speech, the nerves had set in.
“When I came to the place where it would happen, there were only men, apart from female translators,” she said.
To make a speech, you had to raise a card and wait to be selected. No woman had ever spoken at a Fifa congress before.
Wille, standing at 4ft 10in tall, was called to the stage, but it got off to an inauspicious start when she was too short to be able to reach the microphone.
“So someone had to come and help me with it, and then I started to talk.”
MMA
Unbeaten prospect Payton Talbott to fight Raoni Barcelos at UFC 311
Payton Talbott takes a big step up in his next fight as he seeks to keep his perfect record intact.
The blue-chip bantamweight prospect faces 23-fight veteran Raoni Barcelos at UFC’s first pay-per-view show of 2025 on Jan. 18, multiple people with knowledge of the booking told MMA Fighting.
UFC 311 is rumored to take place in Los Angeles, but an official location is yet to be announced.
Talbott, 9-0 in just three years as a professional fighter, has made a major impact so far in the 135-pound division with a trio of UFC wins, capped off by back-to-back bonus-winning stoppages of Cameron Saaiman and Yanis Ghemmouri in 2024. Those fights took Talbott a combined 40 seconds to finish.
Barcelos (18-5) tapped Cristian Quinonez in his most recent appearance this past February to rebound from defeats to Umar Nurmagomedov and Kyler Phillips. The former RFA champion holds a UFC record of 7-4, with three finishes to his credit.
UFC 311 so far features four Brazilian talents, with Jailton Almeida battling Serghei Spivac at heavyweight, top-ranked light heavyweight Johnny Walker facing Bogdan Guskov, and Karol Rosa taking on rising bantamweight Ailin Perez.
Mike Heck contributed to this report.
Football
Steve Bruce: Blackpool boss touched by tributes after death of baby grandson
Blackpool boss Steve Bruce said he has been “touched” by the tributes he has received following the death of his baby grandson.
Four-month-old Madison, the child of Bruce’s son-in-law and former Leeds United, Fulham and Millwall striker Matt Smith, died earlier in October.
Bruce has spent time away from football following his grandson’s passing but will return to the dugout for Saturday’s FA Cup first-round fixture at Gillingham.
“I’d like to take this opportunity on behalf of all the family to thank everyone for the tributes and messages from inside and outside the footballing world. It has touched us all,” he said in a statement, external.
“I’d also like to thank [sporting director] David [Downes], [chief executive officer] Julian [Winter], and the owner Simon [Sadler] for their understanding and support.
“I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday at Gillingham, and back at Bloomfield Road.”
Sport
International tennis tournament cancelled after players fall victim to virtual kidnapping
AN INTERNATIONAL tennis tournament had to be cancelled after players fell victim to ‘virtual’ kidnapping.
The Mexican Tennis Federation were due to stage a Juniors 30 event in Guanajuato in the centre of the country.
However, they were forced to pull the plug on the tournament after the shocking fraud.
According to reports, ten young stars and one coach were scammed out of money in the shocking scheme.
The Secretary of Security and Peace for the state of Guanajuato said that an adult, six girls, and four boys, all members of a tennis team, were found in a hotel in Irapuato.
In this incident, it is understood the victims were ordered to go to the specific location and turn off their mobile phones.
The players and coach caught up in the ordeal were all from the neighbouring state of Queretaro and have all returned to their homes.
The motive behind targeting the tennis stars for the attempted extortion remains unclear.
Virtual kidnapping is where criminals trick victims into believing a family member has been abducted.
They then threaten violence or even death until a ransom fee is paid.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
That is despite no actual abduction taking place as they con their targets.
Some virtual kidnappers operate from inside prisons.
The Junior 30 events are the lowest-ranked tournaments within the ITF’s youth calendar.
The virtual kidnapping comes just weeks after a tennis venue in Mexico was damaged during September’s Hurricane John.
Winds up to 120mph ripped through the Arena GNP Seguros in Acapulco, which hosts the ATP 500 event.
The tennis complex only opened in 2022 but was ravaged by flooding from Hurricane Otis 12 months ago.
Tennis stars following in parents’ footsteps
TALK about pressure…
These rising stars are all making their way in tennis.
But they have got something in common – they’ve got a famous parent who also made their name in the sport.
So who are the players hoping to follow in the footsteps of their tennis mums and dads?
Sport
UFC 310: Belal Muhammad out of Shavkat Rakhmonov welterweight title defence with injury
Belal Muhammad says injury has ruled him out of his welterweight title defence against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 on 7 December.
American Muhammad wrote on X, external he will be sidelined for at least six weeks, meaning he will miss the event in Las Vegas, after suffering a bone infection in his foot.
The 36-year-old was set to make the first defence of his belt after beating Britain’s Leon Edwards in Manchester in July.
“Caught a bone infection in my foot. Had to put a Picc line (peripherally inserted central catheter) in my arm for IV antibiotics the next six weeks with no physical activity,” said Muhammad.
“Allah’s plan is the best plan. I’m sorry to everyone that were coming to see me, I’ll be back soon.”
The UFC are yet to confirm Muhammad’s withdrawal but it leaves the card in need of a new main event.
It is unclear if Kazakhstan’s Rakhmonov will remain on the card.
The 30-year-old has won the opening 18 fights of his career and was set to challenge for a UFC title for the first time.
Possible options for the UFC include setting up an interim welterweight title fight between Rakhmonov and another opponent, replacing the bout entirely with a title fight from another weight class, or promoting the co-main to the top of the card.
Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja is set to defend his flyweight title against Japan’s Kai Asakura in the co-main.
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
How to unsnarl a tangle of threads, according to physics
-
Technology1 month ago
Is sharing your smartphone PIN part of a healthy relationship?
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Hyperelastic gel is one of the stretchiest materials known to science
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
‘Running of the bulls’ festival crowds move like charged particles
-
Technology1 month ago
Would-be reality TV contestants ‘not looking real’
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Maxwell’s demon charges quantum batteries inside of a quantum computer
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
X-rays reveal half-billion-year-old insect ancestor
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Sunlight-trapping device can generate temperatures over 1000°C
-
Technology1 month ago
Ukraine is using AI to manage the removal of Russian landmines
-
Sport4 weeks ago
Boxing: World champion Nick Ball set for Liverpool homecoming against Ronny Rios
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Gmail gets redesigned summary cards with more data & features
-
Football4 weeks ago
Rangers & Celtic ready for first SWPL derby showdown
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Liquid crystals could improve quantum communication devices
-
Technology1 month ago
Russia is building ground-based kamikaze robots out of old hoverboards
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Laser helps turn an electron into a coil of mass and charge
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Physicists have worked out how to melt any material
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Quantum ‘supersolid’ matter stirred using magnets
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Samsung Passkeys will work with Samsung’s smart home devices
-
TV4 weeks ago
সারাদেশে দিনব্যাপী বৃষ্টির পূর্বাভাস; সমুদ্রবন্দরে ৩ নম্বর সংকেত | Weather Today | Jamuna TV
-
Sport4 weeks ago
Aaron Ramsdale: Southampton goalkeeper left Arsenal for more game time
-
MMA4 weeks ago
‘Uncrowned queen’ Kayla Harrison tastes blood, wants UFC title run
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
A new kind of experiment at the Large Hadron Collider could unravel quantum reality
-
MMA4 weeks ago
Dana White’s Contender Series 74 recap, analysis, winner grades
-
News4 weeks ago
Navigating the News Void: Opportunities for Revitalization
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney renews blast at ‘gatekeeper’ platform owners
-
News4 weeks ago
‘Blacks for Trump’ and Pennsylvania progressives play for undecided voters
-
Technology1 month ago
Why Machines Learn: A clever primer makes sense of what makes AI possible
-
News4 weeks ago
Woman who died of cancer ‘was misdiagnosed on phone call with GP’
-
News4 weeks ago
Massive blasts in Beirut after renewed Israeli air strikes
-
Money4 weeks ago
Wetherspoons issues update on closures – see the full list of five still at risk and 26 gone for good
-
News1 month ago
Rwanda restricts funeral sizes following outbreak
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Microsoft just dropped Drasi, and it could change how we handle big data
-
News4 weeks ago
▶ Hamas Spent $1B on Tunnels Instead of Investing in a Future for Gaza’s People
-
Football4 weeks ago
Why does Prince William support Aston Villa?
-
MMA4 weeks ago
Pereira vs. Rountree prediction: Champ chases legend status
-
Business4 weeks ago
When to tip and when not to tip
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Why this is a golden age for life to thrive across the universe
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Musk faces SEC questions over X takeover
-
MMA4 weeks ago
‘Dirt decision’: Conor McGregor, pros react to Jose Aldo’s razor-thin loss at UFC 307
-
Technology1 month ago
Microphone made of atom-thick graphene could be used in smartphones
-
Sport4 weeks ago
China Open: Carlos Alcaraz recovers to beat Jannik Sinner in dramatic final
-
Sport4 weeks ago
Wales fall to second loss of WXV against Italy
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
ITER: Is the world’s biggest fusion experiment dead after new delay to 2035?
-
Womens Workouts1 month ago
3 Day Full Body Women’s Dumbbell Only Workout
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Quantum forces used to automatically assemble tiny device
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
A slight curve helps rocks make the biggest splash
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Nuclear fusion experiment overcomes two key operating hurdles
-
News2 months ago
▶️ Hamas in the West Bank: Rising Support and Deadly Attacks You Might Not Know About
-
Business4 weeks ago
DoJ accuses Donald Trump of ‘private criminal effort’ to overturn 2020 election
-
News4 weeks ago
Cornell is about to deport a student over Palestine activism
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Check, Remote, and Gusto discuss the future of work at Disrupt 2024
-
Sport4 weeks ago
2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka
-
MMA4 weeks ago
Kayla Harrison gets involved in nasty war of words with Julianna Pena and Ketlen Vieira
-
MMA4 weeks ago
‘I was fighting on automatic pilot’ at UFC 306
-
Business4 weeks ago
how UniCredit built its Commerzbank stake
-
Business4 weeks ago
Bank of England warns of ‘future stress’ from hedge fund bets against US Treasuries
-
News4 weeks ago
Hull KR 10-8 Warrington Wolves – Robins reach first Super League Grand Final
-
MMA4 weeks ago
Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison pick, start time, odds: UFC 307
-
Sport4 weeks ago
Coco Gauff stages superb comeback to reach China Open final
-
Sport4 weeks ago
Man City ask for Premier League season to be DELAYED as Pep Guardiola escalates fixture pile-up row
-
Technology1 month ago
Meta has a major opportunity to win the AI hardware race
-
Business4 weeks ago
Water companies ‘failing to address customers’ concerns’
-
News4 weeks ago
German Car Company Declares Bankruptcy – 200 Employees Lose Their Jobs
-
Football4 weeks ago
'Rangers outclassed and outplayed as Hearts stop rot'
-
Business4 weeks ago
Sterling slides after Bailey says BoE could be ‘a bit more aggressive’ on rates
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Texas is suing TikTok for allegedly violating its new child privacy law
-
Sport4 weeks ago
Sturm Graz: How Austrians ended Red Bull’s title dominance
-
Business4 weeks ago
The search for Japan’s ‘lost’ art
-
Technology4 weeks ago
LG C4 OLED smart TVs hit record-low prices ahead of Prime Day
-
Technology4 weeks ago
If you’ve ever considered smart glasses, this Amazon deal is for you
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Time travel sci-fi novel is a rip-roaringly good thought experiment
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
Nerve fibres in the brain could generate quantum entanglement
-
News4 weeks ago
Family plans to honor hurricane victim using logs from fallen tree that killed him
-
Sport4 weeks ago
Premiership Women’s Rugby: Exeter Chiefs boss unhappy with WXV clash
-
Sport4 weeks ago
WXV1: Canada 21-8 Ireland – Hosts make it two wins from two
-
Entertainment4 weeks ago
New documentary explores actor Christopher Reeve’s life and legacy
-
Business1 month ago
Stocks Tumble in Japan After Party’s Election of New Prime Minister
-
Technology4 weeks ago
SingleStore’s BryteFlow acquisition targets data integration
-
Technology4 weeks ago
OpenAI secured more billions, but there’s still capital left for other startups
-
Money4 weeks ago
Pub selling Britain’s ‘CHEAPEST’ pints for just £2.60 – but you’ll have to follow super-strict rules to get in
-
Entertainment4 weeks ago
Bruce Springsteen endorses Harris, calls Trump “most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime”
-
News1 month ago
▶️ Media Bias: How They Spin Attack on Hezbollah and Ignore the Reality
-
Science & Environment1 month ago
How to wrap your mind around the real multiverse
-
Technology1 month ago
University examiners fail to spot ChatGPT answers in real-world test
-
MMA4 weeks ago
Julianna Peña trashes Raquel Pennington’s behavior as champ
-
Business4 weeks ago
Top shale boss says US ‘unusually vulnerable’ to Middle East oil shock
-
Technology4 weeks ago
This AI video generator can melt, crush, blow up, or turn anything into cake
-
Technology4 weeks ago
J.B. Hunt and UP.Labs launch venture lab to build logistics startups
-
Technology4 weeks ago
The best budget robot vacuums for 2024
-
Business4 weeks ago
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she needs to raise £20bn. How might she do it?
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Amazon’s Ring just doubled the price of its alarm monitoring service for grandfathered customers
-
Technology4 weeks ago
Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S24+
-
Politics4 weeks ago
Rosie Duffield’s savage departure raises difficult questions for Keir Starmer. He’d be foolish to ignore them | Gaby Hinsliff
-
Business4 weeks ago
Head of UK Competition Appeal Tribunal to step down after rebuke for serious misconduct
-
Technology4 weeks ago
The best shows on Max (formerly HBO Max) right now
-
Sport1 month ago
World’s sexiest referee Claudia Romani shows off incredible figure in animal print bikini on South Beach
-
TV4 weeks ago
TV Patrol Express September 26, 2024
-
MMA4 weeks ago
Pennington vs. Peña pick: Can ex-champ recapture title?
-
MMA4 weeks ago
UFC 307 preview show: Will Alex Pereira’s wild ride continue, or does Khalil Rountree shock the world?
-
Business4 weeks ago
Champagne days for F1
You must be logged in to post a comment Login