The Runner - Manchester, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 29.038 W 002° 12.176
30U E 552891 N 5926405
This statue was created for the XVII Commonwealth Games held in Manchester and placed between the athletics warm up track and the main stadium.
Waymark Code: WM181W3
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/12/2023
Views: 0
The statue shows a sprinter at the explosive start of his run as he leaves the starting blocks. The athlete is standing on a globe to represent the fact that a total of 73 nations competed in the games.
The sculpture was unveiled in time for the Spirit of Friendship Festival that was held before the games themselves and the games also coincided with the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Commonwealth.
The sculpture is 30 feet high and weighs seven tonnes making it the largest bronze sculpture dedicated to sport in the UK. It was sculpted in a little over eight weeks and cast and finished in three months.
At the base of the globe is an inscription with a list of the the competing countries and the following.
THE RUNNER BY COLIN SPOFFORTH
A CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP AND THE XVII COMMONWEALTH GAMES, MANCHESTER
IN THE GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
Legacy
After the games finished the main stadium was converted to a football stadium and is now used by Manchester City Football Club who compete in the Premier League. The warm up track is now The Manchester Regional Arena and used for athletics and various other sports including rugby.