Double Victory for Women Runners of Liverpool 2026

Key Points

• The BTR Women’s 5K and 10K Liverpool took place on Sunday 6 September 2026 in Sefton Park.
• Attendance doubled since 2025 to 1,149 runners in the two events.
• Bethany Woods won the 5K in 19:51; Savannah Mannhart won the 10K in 39:49.
• Mother-daughter team of Savannah and Dianna Mannhart won a double podium in the 10K.
• The Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity was the main charity partner of the event, with over 60 runners raising over £8,000 toward their target of £10,000.
• Medal of rainbow chrome with the image of Peter Pan (statue in Sefton Park) was given to all finishers as a token of participation.
• 2027 edition will take place on Sunday 5 September 2027 and entries are now open.
• According to BTR Liverpool’s founder, Alan Rothwell, the event is “positive and empowering,” and its resurrection after a 20-year break.
• BTR Liverpool portfolio was bought in 2025 by Run For All; Run For All is part of the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) September 14, 2026 – Women runners of Liverpool turned out in force on Sunday 6 September for the BTR Women’s 5K and 10K, an event organisers hailed as “positive” and “empowering”, with participation doubling to 1,149 finishers and significant fundraising for Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity.

How many runners took part and what were the results?

The BTR Women’s 10K Liverpool was held in Sefton Park, alongside a 5K distance added in the event’s second year due to popular demand. According to details published by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, 277 participants completed the 5K course, while 872 runners finished the 10K, making a combined field of 1,149 on the day. This represents a doubling of participant numbers compared with the previous year, when more than 600 runners took part across both races.

In the 5K, Bethany Woods recorded the fastest time of 19 minutes 51 seconds to take first place. Sarah Nawrocki finished second in 20:09, and Lowri Nesbitt secured third in 20:17.

The 10K title went to Savannah Mannhart of Warriors Pentathlon & Athletic Club, who finished in 39:49. In a notable family result, her mother Dianna Mannhart, also representing Warriors Pentathlon & Athletic Club, took second place in 40:23. Annabel Harley of Liverpool Harriers & AC completed the podium in third with a time of 41:12.

This marked the second BTR race of 2026 in which the Mannhart mother and daughter achieved a double podium finish; in June, Savannah placed third in the BTR Port Sunlight 5K while Dianna finished second in the BTR Port Sunlight 10K.

Who organised the event and what did organisers say?

The event was hosted by BTR Liverpool, described in coverage as the leading organisation for creating, managing and delivering headline running events across the Liverpool City Region. BTR Liverpool revived the historically popular female‑only 10K in 2024, returning it to Sefton Park, which was the original home of the race during its peak in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Alan Rothwell, BTR Liverpool Founder, said: “What a fantastic third year for the Women’s 10K and 5K races. The race has firmly grown new roots in the BTR event portfolio after a break of over 20 years. It has been embraced by the female running community as a positive and empowering event, and numbers have doubled for 2026.”

He added: “It was very fitting to support Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity as headline charity partner for the event. Liverpool Women’s Hospital is a huge part of the city, and many runners and spectators will almost certainly know a family member or friend supported by the hospital or its charity.”

Rothwell also thanked participants, spectators and volunteers, stating: “Thank you to everyone who took part on the day, the spectators for cheering on the runners, and our excellent volunteers who play a vital role in BTR race events.”

Which charity benefited and how much was raised?

Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity (LWHC) served as the headline charity partner for the race. More than 60 runners took part specifically to raise funds for the charity, collectively raising more than £8,000, with a £10,000 target described as “edging closer”.

Liverpool Women’s Hospital is the UK’s largest specialist hospital dedicated to the health of women, babies and families, caring for thousands of patients from across the North West and beyond each year. According to information provided via the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity supports the hospital’s vital work by funding innovations and compassionate care that go beyond standard NHS provision, aiming to improve patient experience and outcomes.

Donations related to the event can be made through the JustGiving campaign page referenced in the coverage.

What did participants receive and who presented the event?

All race finishers were presented with a commemorative medal and T‑shirt to mark their achievement. The medal was described as a rainbow chrome design featuring Peter Pan, highlighting the Peter Pan statue located in Sefton Park.

The race event was hosted by Claire Simmo, a presenter from In Demand Radio.

When is the next race and what other events are in the BTR calendar?

The date for the following year’s race has been confirmed as Sunday 5 September 2027, with entries already open via the BTR Liverpool website.

BTR Liverpool’s annual calendar of competitive races and fun runs runs between March and December. The portfolio includes the Liverpool Half Marathon, Liverpool Santa Dash, Mersey Tunnel 10K, Port Sunlight Road Race, Wirral 10K and Run For The 97.

According to the published details, there were two events remaining in the BTR Liverpool portfolio for 2026 at the time of reporting: the BTR Wirral 10K on Sunday 11 October, followed by the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash on Sunday 6 December.

In 2025, BTR Liverpool and its event portfolio were acquired by Run For All, a mass participation events company wholly owned by the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, which continues to honour Jane Tomlinson’s legacy.

Background to the development of the Women’s 5K and 10K in Liverpool

The BTR Women’s 10K Liverpool was reintroduced in 2024 after a hiatus of more than two decades, reviving a female‑only race that was historically popular in the city. Sefton Park, the 2026 venue, was the original home of the event during its peak in the 1980s and early 1990s.

The 5K distance was added in the second year of the revived event in response to popular demand. Last year, more than 600 runners participated across both races; in 2026, that figure rose to 1,149, indicating growing support and engagement within the local female running community.

The partnership with Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity aligns the event with a major local health institution focused on women, babies and families, reinforcing the race’s community and charitable dimensions alongside its competitive element.

Prediction: how could this development affect women runners and the local community?

The doubling of participation in the BTR Women’s 5K and 10K suggests increasing confidence and visibility for women runners in Liverpool, which could encourage more female‑focused events and greater investment in accessible running opportunities across the city region. For women runners, the growth of a dedicated, supportive race environment may lower barriers to entry, provide clearer progression pathways from 5K to 10K and beyond, and foster peer networks that sustain long‑term engagement with running.

For the local community and Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity, continued growth in participant numbers and fundraising could translate into more substantial annual donations, enabling additional services and innovations at the hospital that directly benefit women, babies and families. If the upward trend continues into 2027 and beyond, the event could become a fixed point in the regional sporting calendar, attracting sponsors, volunteers and media attention that further amplify its impact on public health, community cohesion and charitable giving in the North West.