> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thestaffordshiresignal.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # More Than 2,000 Take On Potters 'Arf As Stoke Turns Out For Its Famous Half Marathon - URL: https://www.thestaffordshiresignal.co.uk/2-000-take-on-potters-arf-marathon2026/ - Published: 2026-10-06T10:15:09.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-06T10:15:09.000Z - Description: Runners, walkers and relay teams filled the streets of Stoke-on-Trent for the 2026 Potters 'Arf, with more than 2,000 people taking on one of the city's best known sporting challenges. - Author: Natalee Trowbridge - Tags: Active Life ****THE SIGNAL BRIEF** ****What happened:** More than 2,000 people took part in the 2026 Potters 'Arf, including runners, walkers and relay teams. ****The winners:** City of Stoke AC athlete Christopher Gidlow won the men's race in 1:09:34, while fellow City of Stoke AC runner Emma Taylor won the women's race in 1:21:44. ****Why it matters:** The event brings competitors, supporters and fundraisers together on the streets of Stoke-on-Trent, with the challenging 13.1 mile route passing through the city's six towns. There are easier ways to cover 13.1 miles but Stoke-on-Trent wouldn't have it any other way. More than 2,000 people took to the streets for the 2026 Potters 'Arf, filling the city with runners, walkers, relay teams, supporters and fundraisers for one of the biggest days on Stoke-on-Trent's sporting calendar. The Staffordshire Signal was there too, photographing competitors as they made their way around the course and capturing some of the people who make the 'Arf much more than simply another half marathon. Organised by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the Potters 'Arf has been held in its current half marathon format since 2005. The officially measured road course takes competitors along closed roads through the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent before bringing them back towards a city centre finish. And this is certainly not a course designed to make life easy. Its undulating route has become part of the event's identity, particularly the infamous Heartbreak Hill, a climb that has tested generations of Potters 'Arf competitors. But wherever there are hills, there are also people cheering. That combination of a demanding route and enthusiastic local support has helped give the Potters 'Arf its distinctive character over more than two decades. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3b/48/3b482e3b-bd85-4cd0-bf5d-b4c28e10d60b/content/images/2026/10/FB_IMG_1791123871654.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3b/48/3b482e3b-bd85-4cd0-bf5d-b4c28e10d60b/content/images/2026/10/FB_IMG_1791123869616.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3b/48/3b482e3b-bd85-4cd0-bf5d-b4c28e10d60b/content/images/2026/10/FB_IMG_1791123867224.jpg) Potters 'Arf 2026 ### City of Stoke AC runners take the victories There was local success at the front of both the men's and women's races. Christopher Gidlow, representing City of Stoke AC, was the winner of the men's race, completing the course in **1:09:34**. Emma Taylor, also representing City of Stoke AC, took victory in the women's race with a time of **1:21:44**. Behind them came thousands of individual stories. Some competitors were experienced club runners chasing times. Others were tackling their first half marathon. Walkers and relay teams took on the course too, while many participants were running for charities and causes close to them. Youngsters also had the opportunity to get involved through the Fun Run. The day began with the walking wave before the runners set off, with a mass warm up and big screen among the additions for the 2026 event. Stoke-born athlete Jazmin Sawyers and former Stoke City manager Lou Macari were honorary starters. ### 60 runners remember Will Brazier Among the crowds was a group of 60 runners taking part in memory of Will Brazier, who died in April aged 31 after having cancer. The group took on the Potters 'Arf to raise money for the Dougie Mac, where Will spent his final days. Their red and white colours also reflected Will's support for Stoke City. > "Will passed away in April. He had cancer. He was 31\. We are raising money for The Dougie Mac where he spent his final days. He was a very popular lad. He was a big Stoke City fan, hence the red and white. We have raised £18,000 so far." Their presence was one example of the fundraising stories unfolding across the course as people took on the challenge for reasons extending far beyond their finishing times. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3b/48/3b482e3b-bd85-4cd0-bf5d-b4c28e10d60b/content/images/2026/10/FB_IMG_1791123930423.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3b/48/3b482e3b-bd85-4cd0-bf5d-b4c28e10d60b/content/images/2026/10/FB_IMG_1791123913687.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3b/48/3b482e3b-bd85-4cd0-bf5d-b4c28e10d60b/content/images/2026/10/FB_IMG_1791123890322.jpg) Potters 'Arf 2026 ### More than just a race The Potters 'Arf is officially measured, professionally chip timed and held under UKA Rules, with mile markers, marshals, water stations and pacers supporting competitors around the course. Every finisher receives a commemorative medal and goody bag. But numbers and finishing times only tell part of the story. Since its first staging in its current format in 2005, the Potters 'Arf has built its reputation around something that cannot be measured by a timing chip. It is the people standing beside the road. The families waiting for runners to appear. The volunteers and marshals around the course. The charity runners carrying the names of people they love. The club athletes chasing personal bests and the first timers simply trying to reach the finish. And, of course, there are the hills. It's hard, it's hilly and Stoke turns out to help people through it. More than 20 years after the first Potters 'Arf, that's still what makes this particular 13.1 miles so special. ### Were you there? The Staffordshire Signal was out photographing competitors during the 2026 Potters 'Arf. Take a look through our photographs from the day on our social media pages and see if we caught you, your friends or your family taking on the course. If you spot someone you know, make sure you tag them so they can find their photograph too. ### Join The Staffordshire Signal on WhatsApp Never miss a single breaking update, local news story, community event, or deep dive. See everything happening in Staffordshire first, straight to your phone! [ Get Instant Updates ](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7ZsQULNSa5fg83uQ1y?ref=thestaffordshiresignal.co.uk)