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Manchester Half Marathon: What you need to know

Jenny ColemanNorth West
Manchester Half Marathon Two runners smiling and waving at the camera as they run in the Manchester Half Marathon. They are wearing sportswear in blues and grey. A crowd of runners are jogging behind them. Manchester Half Marathon
The half marathon route goes through south Manchester and Trafford

A record number of runners is set to take on the Manchester Half Marathon this October.

32,000 people have signed up for the event, which will see them take on 13.1 miles (21km) on mainly flat roads, through Trafford and south Manchester.

It has almost tripled in participant numbers since it first started in 2016.

Organisers said about £1.5m was raised last year for national and local charities. Here is everything you need to know for this year's event.

Manchester Half Marathon A man and woman dressed in black T-shirts and wearing Manchester Half Marathon medals take a smiling selfie after finishing the race.Manchester Half Marathon
The half marathon first took place in 2016

When and where?

  • The Manchester Half Marathon takes place on Sunday 4 October and is one of the UK's largest half marathon events.
  • The start and end of the race are located at the Lancashire Cricket Club. There is an Event Village at the cricket ground and participants will be directed to the start line.
  • The event does not have a single start time. Runners are assigned to colour-coded start waves, which begin in staggered intervals throughout the morning.
  • The first start wave is listed for 08:50 BST and the last wave is at 11:07 BST.
A.S.O. UK A picture of actor Calum Lill in a blue top, and actors Harriet Bibby and Channique Sterling-Brown who are wearing black tops. They are all grinning and giving thumbs-up signs. Other runners are behind them as they wait to start.A.S.O. UK
Coronation Street actors Calum Lill, Harriet Bibby and Channique Sterling-Brown took part in last year's event

What is the route?

A half marathon route is 13.1 miles (21km).

The 2026 route runs through south Manchester and Trafford on closed roads -including Bridgewater Way, Chester Road, Cross Street, Broad Road, Edge Lane and Seymour Grove before finishing on Talbot Road.

While supporters are welcome, organisers said the finish area gets very busy. Recommended meeting points are arranged away from the finish area.

There is also the option to meet at the Event Village, where a large screen will show the finish line.

Manchester Half Marathon A man and woman wearing inflatable horse costumes are running in the 2025 Manchester Half Marathon carrying a charity collection bucket.Manchester Half Marathon
Organisers said the event raised about £1.5m for national and local charities last year

How do I get there?

Organisers have recommended travelling to the race by Metrolink because it is the easiest way to get to and from the event, and it will also help avoid road closure delays.

By tram

The recommended tram station is Imperial War Museum on the Trafford Centre (red) line. This is a 15 minute walk but is expected to be less congested. It may take longer after 09:15 BST due to the need to cross over the event route.

Other stations- which are closer but likely to be congested are:

Old Trafford on the Altrincham (purple/green) line which is a three minute walk and Trafford Bar on the Altrincham (purple/green) line which is a 10 minute walk.

By Car

There is no official parking for the event but there are a number of park and ride options available on the Transport for Greater Manchester network.

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