Reply The Manchester Road Race is donating $40,000 to four nonprofit organizations this month. (Chris Dehnel/Patch) MANCHESTER, CT — The Manchester Road Race is donating $40,000 to four nonprofit organizations this month, despite the coronavirus pandemic forcing the race into virtual mode last November. It was the first time since 1945 that the annual race was not staged in Manchester on Thanksgiving morning The first-ever Virtual Manchester Road Race attracted approximately 2,000 registered runners who used the MRR's proprietary app on their smartphones while they ran the 4.748-mile distance at locations throughout Connecticut, the United States, and in several foreign countries during the week prior to Thanksgiving.