Matty Horry, 26, was among a field of 35,000 runners, who took on either the 10K or half marathon route through Manchester city centre. He raised more than £225 for the BHF to fund lifesaving research into heart and circulatory disease.
Matty said: “I lost my grandad, Brian, to vascular dementia, which is linked to heart and circulatory disease. He had a heart attack 20 years before he died which he recovered from. I wanted to raise funds for the BHF to help others benefit from research and to pay tribute to him. He was a proper Sheffield man, a proud steel worker and I think he’d have been pleased that I ran for him and the BHF.“
AJ Bell and the BHF partnered up in 2023 with a joint mission to help improve the nation’s heart health.
This year’s AJ Bell Great Manchester Run helped the charity to raise over £168,500 and rising, which will go towards finding new cures and treatments for the 7.6 million people in the UK currently living with heart and circulatory conditions.
Matty added: “Taking part in the 2025 AJ Bell Great Manchester Run for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), was such a huge challenge and an incredible experience. The atmosphere around the course was electric and it was amazing having so many people cheering me on, it made me even more determined to cross the finish line.
“The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases. I’m proud that I do as much as I can to support their amazing work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.”
Karen McDonnell, Senior Events Manager at the BHF, added: “The stories of why our amazing supporters take part in our events, never fail to inspire me. It was fantastic to see the passion and determination of over 600 BHF runners who took on the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run on Sunday. Together they’ve help raised an incredible £168,500 which will fund research to help revolutionise treatments and transform the lives of the 7.6 million of people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.”
Take on an AJ Bell Great Run Series for British Heart Foundation: www.bhf.org.uk/AJBellGreatRuns