On Thursday 13th June, radio producer Joe McGrath has vowed to race a Manchester tram after stating his ability to beat the pace of the city's most efficient mode of transport.
Best known as being the producer for the XS Manchester Breakfast Show with Adam Brown, Joe McGrath has become infamous for attempting peculiar stunts, including most recently trying to blag a free sausage roll from a Greggs in Central Manchester, but his latest challenge pushes the envelope to a whole new level.
A bookmaker that is open to outcomes with an ounce of humour behind them is Paddy Power, so it doesn't come as much of a shock to see them pricing up the chances of both the radio producer and the tram.
Paddy Power covering the race with markets for either winner
Listed within their 'Novelty Specials' section, the XS Manchester - Man V Tram Race market is the last one that you'll find on the Paddy Power website and app. It's also surely the simplest of markets available on Paddy Power, as there's only two available options to choose from.
It's likely to pick up more hype as we get closer to the race actually taking place, but it's already easy to judge who the bookmaker prefers. Joe McGrath is priced at 8/13 to defeat the tram, assuming that various stops between the start and the finish hinder the tram's overall time, with that obviously being impacted more or less depending on the distance of the route and the time in which the race takes place.
As for the prospect of getting behind the tram, Paddy Power offer odds of 5/4. There's a perfectly reasonable case for assuming that the tram will win, especially if the race happens during a time where there isn't a lot of people boarding and exiting the tram at a lot of the stops along the way. Joe McGrath posted a preliminary trial run on social media, and it looks as if the tram should be the favourite to defeat him.
The entire concept is funny in itself, but it's hard to tell whether it's unfair or simply ludicrous for the tram to be seen as an underdog, leaving Joe McGrath as the obvious favourite despite standing little to no chance of defeating an actual vehicle in a race.
Speaking about the parameters of the race on XS Manchester, McGrath stated that it would take place at around 11am on 13th June, so it wouldn't even be happening during peak time, handing an even larger advantage to the tram. His tweet also confirmed that the race would start at Piccadilly Station and result at Deansgate, which is a twenty minute walk by foot and an estimated nine minute tram ride.
XS Manchester - Man v Tram Race Odds
Joe McGrath - 8/13
The Tram - 5/4
