The adidas Manchester Marathon is back for 2024 and the region is already getting set for thousands of Mancs to take on the annual challenge.
Not only the second-largest race of its kind in the UK but the fourth most popular in all of Europe, the Manchester Marathon welcomes more than 30,000 runners every year and even more spectators from all over the continent. We’re talking around 125,000 people lining the 26.2-mile route. Yowza.
With an unprecedented demand for places at this year’s event, which has been running rather unbelievably since 1908 (no pun intended), this year’s Manchester Marathon on Sunday, 14 April 2024 is genuinely set to be the biggest yet.
So if you’re taking part or just cheering the competitors on from the sidelines, here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon.
Manchester Marathon Route, waves and timings
The 2024 Manchester Marathon map.The start line.Along the way, runners can expect to take in some of Manc’s most iconic landmarks, from Bridgewater Hall and the Beetham Tower to the Theatre of Dreams itself and many more
As with previous years, the route will start and end over in Trafford. Participants will set off underneath Trafford Arch at White City Circle, making their way past Old Trafford before heading back towards the city centre via Chorlton and Hulme.
ADVERTISEMENT
After reaching the city centre, runners will then head towards Stretford, passing through Sale before turning off as they approach Timperley and eventually reach Altrincham around the 16-mile mark.
The final leg of the route will take runners through Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, with Talbot Road leading you back to the finish line. For those feeling any nerves (like the runner currently writing this), you’ll be glad to know the Manchester Marathon is one of the flattest in the country.
ADVERTISEMENT
You can see the full breakdown of timings and coloured waves down below. You can also watch the full virtual run-through of the running route HERE.
Event Village – entry points, bag drop, toilets and more
Event Village will once again be based around the Emirates Old Trafford, home of Lancashire County Cricket Club, where participants will also be able to find entry points to the start line.
Info points, bag drops and toilet facilities will also be available around the pre and post-race complex, along with first aid tents and dedicated access routes from nearby parking spots and local transport.
ADVERTISEMENT
Event Village will be strictly open to runnersbetween 7:30–10:30am, operating on a one-way system, before being opened up to the thousands of supporters expected to line the streets.
You can see a full map of the area down below, including where to drop your bags and nip to the loo before you set off on your race – and don’t worry, there will be places to stop for the toilet along the route if nature is annoying enough to calls.
To help you familiarise yourself with your surroundings.
Road closures for the Manchester Marathon
The road closures for this year’s marathon include the A56 (Northbound and Southbound), with the officials set to start closing roads at 3am and begin re-opening roads from 2pm onwards after the course begins to clear.
The last closed road is expected to re-open around 8pm through Chorlton and Old Trafford towards the end of the course.
You can find further details on road closure and what other parts of Greater Manchester are set to be impacted HERE.
ADVERTISEMENT
Travel advice
As mentioned, road closure will obviously impact people coming in and out of the city as well as to various spots along the marathon route, so whether you’re a local or travelling in from elsewhere, it’s worth knowing where to be and where’s best to avoid too.
In a nutshell, it’s expected that public transport will be very busy before, during and after the race, but the Metrolink trams still remain the best way to get around. Bus routes will be being diverted.
People have been asked to leave their cars at home or use park and rides where possible due to all the road closures, displaced traffic and expected congestion.
It goes without saying that there will also be a significant number of road closures throughout Sunday as well. However, once again, the wonderful organisers have you covered; you can see the full list of closures HERE and they have even put together an interactive map for you to check what’s shut when:
ADVERTISEMENT
Public transport
People are also being advised to leave their cars at home where possible to avoid the busy roads, or to at least use the free park-and-ride services on the way into Manchester and travel to their destinations via our city’s wonderful tram network.
Metrolink will be operating a six-minute frequency on the Altrincham line with more double trams and increased capacity along various other lines too. That being said, services are expected to be extremely busy throughout the day, so if you can travel flexibly, the predicted quietest time to travel is around 4pm.
Once you’ve tapped on and tapped off, most fan corners, cheer zones and regular spots for supporters to gather together should only be a short walk away from your chosen tram stop.
New mascots, event shirts and the 2024 finisher’s medals picked by the public
This year, the adidas Manchester Marathon also welcomes on board a brand new mascot, Chester the Bee, who will join the event’s much-loved existing mascot, Manny the Bee to help bring extra cheer to the festivities on the day.
As we all know and love, Manchester has a vibrant LGBTQIA+ community and, as the organisers said in a press release, “introducing mascots that celebrate this diversity allows the marathon to reflect these identities within Greater Manchester. It’s a way to honour the unique contributions and experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and showcase their pride within the larger community.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Better still, the organisers donate £1 for every participant taking on the marathon straight to the Trafford Active Fund, which offers local groups the chance to receive a special allocation of funding to build a long-lasting sport and physical activity legacy in Greater Manchester. Money from the marathon also goes towards planting trees across the region through the Green Runner scheme.
You can also see what this year’s general public selected as the design for this year’s Manchester Marathon finisher’s medal design down below. It’s a pretty one.
Thousands of you voted on the colour of the 2024 medal. We can now reveal the official 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon medal is… GOLD! 🥇
A big thank you to Marv, Abbie, Alex and Andrew from Manchester Run Club and Chorlton Runners for revealing our 2024 medal. pic.twitter.com/yYancbt4Lr
With a record 32,000+ runners set to hit the streets of 0161 this year, we cannot wait for people all over the ten boroughs to get soaked up in the spirit of the day.
It’s genuinely one of the most wholesome dates on the calendar and we’re just praying for a sunny day to make it perfect.
It’s also estimated that the event will raise around £3.5 million for hundreds of charities, with nearly 2,000 places allocated to representatives from Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie. You absolutely love to see it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Good luck to everyone taking part on the day — you’re all going to absolutely smash it.
Inside the luxury hotel suite inspired by a Christmas light trail
Thomas Melia
Located right next to Piccadilly Station, Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly have curated a new hotel stay which is inspired by one of the region’s biggest light trails.
The new Christmas-themed room has been created as a continuation of Freight Island’s ‘Twilight Trail’, so you don’t need to leave the magic of the event behind in Mayfield Park.
This huge hotel, which recently underwent a £33m refurb, has been setting out to provide guests with incredible experiences and this new Christmas themed room is certainly no different.
As well as a stunning room decked out with festive decor, you can also see immaculate views of the city centre, and even the neighbouring Twilight Trail, thanks to the room being situated on the top floor of the eight storey building.
Initially launching last year, the festive-themed Twilight Trail attraction by Freight Island is only a short three-minute walk away from the all-new Christmas room at Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly.
The converted ‘Deluxe Family Room’ is sure to put you in the festive spirit with everything from mood lighting to a real Christmas tree frocked in red and gold baubles.
How many reindeers could you count before you fall asleep effortlessly?It’s Christmas central at Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly.The Deluxe Family Room has had a festive makeover.Credit: The Manc Group
Once you’ve unpacked your matching PJ’s and chosen where you’ll be sleeping for the night, you can head out the door knowing you get to come back to your own personal winter wonderland.
Next on your itinerary is a trip to the Twilight Trail itself, 6.5 acres of illuminations, interesting structures and fascinating displays.
If you’re not walking round this outdoor venue with a boozy hot chocolate fixed firmly in one hand then you’re definitely doing it wrong.
As you walk through the first tentacle-like tunnel, you’ll be greeted by an on-site refreshments truck serving generous helpings of hot chocolate.
After picking up your sweet drink, you’ll be plunged into a glittering world with a dramatic Christmas tree at the centrepiece of the illuminated park.
The opening tentacle-like tunnel which spans out across the floor.You can never go wrong with a hot chocolate.The grand Christmas tree towering over the various light features.Credit: The Manc Group
You can walk over a brightly lit bridge that constantly changes colours and makes you feel like you’re walking on a rainbow, literally.
This makes for a great sensory experience for all ages as you feel as though you’re a part of the trail, walking over the light displays instead of just seeing them from a distance. Class!
The twinkling tunnel lit with fairy lights makes for the perfect Instagrammable moment and is honestly core-memory worthy.
Lighting up the city centre with the Mayfield Depot sign adding some character.Look at those lights! The fairy light tunnel which are part of the Twilight Trail.Take a walk over the rainbow bridge as you soak up all this light trail has to offer.Credit: The Manc Group
Whether walking makes you hungry or you can just smell the delicious flavours of the street food vendors from next-door neighbours Freight Island, it would be rude not to pay them a visit.
It’ll probably take you just as long to decide what food you want as it did to complete the light trail thanks to the wide variety of cuisines on offer.
From 22 inch pizzas at Voodoo Ray’s to desserts on a stick at Oh My Cheesecake, you can grasp how exciting and mind-boggling the meals here are.
Burgers were the craving of the night and we left our foodie fate in the hands of the trusty Burgerism with their ‘Veggied’ and Pattersons ‘Salt ‘n’ Pepa’ single stack chicken burger.
This is one of three plant-based options from their menu and its packed with a selection of topping greats like pickles, tomatoes and a cheese slice.
Burgerism’s veggie offering was absolutely gorgeous.Pattersons flavoursome single stack chicken burger.The veggie has officially been ‘Veggied’.Credit: The Manc Group
This little Christmas themed adventure and stay is in the heart of Manchester city centre meaning it’s close to all amenities like trains, trams, bars, pubs and those all important Manchester Christmas Markets.
However when you’re sleeping in a room that has pillows galore, a built-in TV and Christmas decorations, a quiet night in was next on the agenda and you really do feel right at home.
Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly may just be one of Santa’s many little helpers and you can create your own priceless memory by staying in this gorgeous Christmas suite.
The bathroom in the Marriott Christmas room.Waking up out of bed to those stunning lights and cute tree.After your activity-filled day, fill up the tub and relax.Credit: The Manc Group
Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | November 2024
Danny Jones
Well, hello there; fancy seeing you all here – presume you’re waiting on another batch of new Manchester bands and artists you’ve not come across before?
Stupid question, of course you are. It’s the end of the month after all and that’s how we like to start the next one. Best foot forward and all that.
In case you happen to be new here, right about now is the time (as you’ve probably guessed from the title) that we round up five of the best musicians from in and around Greater Manchester that we’ve been listening to recently.
Let’s not muck about any longer, shall we?
Five Manchester bands and artists you should listen to
1. John Bramwell
His S-heavy voice cuts through so much this album in such a satisfying way.
First up on our list is John Bramwell, best known for his years with noughties alternative and indie band I Am Kloot, but he’s been enjoying his solo journey since 2016, and so have we. With his sophomore album released earlier this year, we finally found time to try it out – in a word: stunning.
Hailing from Hyde, the former frontman and guitarist released his standalone debut in 2017, but even before that he released a passion project under the name ‘Johnny Dangerously’ way back in 1989 entitled, You, Me and the Alarm Clock, once called “the best British album you’ve never heard” by The Guardian.
Suffice it to say, the 60-year-old has been on a long and winding road to becoming a straight-up singer-songwriter for some time now and it’s great to hear where his sound has got to. There’s a real 1960s and ’70s feel to a lot of it; we’d start with the title track, ‘It’s Just You’, and ‘I Am The Sky’, which shows a real range to those vocal tones.
2. Hollows
Second on our list of Manchester bands and artists for November is the alternative trio, Hollows, who after stumbling across a little while back we’ve now rediscovered following their release of their latest EP, Running With Scissors.
While it’s by no means heavy, they’re probably the most guitar-driven name on the list this month. We picked up bits of Placebo and even contemporary Smashing Pumpkins at times but, put most simply, they’re just a good rock band and we still think there’s a lack of those around these days.
Their newest stuff is undoubtedly their best but you’ve still got to start with ‘UV Lights’ in our opinion (simply because we did), but from there we’d encourage you’d move on to ‘History’ and ‘Talon’.
Shifting over to electronic for a spell, our next nod goes to rising DJ and producer Oldboy. Named after the cult-hit film, his sound certainly carries over plenty of inspiration from movies and TV – and not just because he samples Brad Bitt in Seven on one of his tracks.
Born in York before spending his uni days in Sheffield and eventually landing here in Manchester a few years ago, the rising Northern star – real name Max Carter – does garage, dub and house best but there’s lots of variety on show. He also has his own record label, Front Toward Enemy.
With a catalogue dating back to 2021 and a versatility spanning so many sub-genres, not to mention a truly great selection of instant earworm sampled, he can pretty much turn his hand to anything provided there’s bass and some distortion involved. ‘Grab Di Mic’ is his latest, ‘Find Da Cure’ is a great intro and his ‘Got Yo $’ rightly went viral on TikTok a while back. Give him a spin.
Amidst all these new Manchester bands and lesser-known artists, Oldboy’s live sets are a nice change of pace.
4. The Recreation
Penultimately, we’ll quite literally keep effing and blinding until you listen to the fantastic local five-piece that is The Recreation, who have quickly become a bit of an obsession of ours. They released their second LP this past May and the only thing we’ve been listening to the same amount is their first.
To be completely honest, we’ve only really chimed with the stuff from 2020 onwards, but let’s just say we really struggled to pick our favourite tracks from the Oldham lads because we genuinely love all of it so much. That being said, if you had to push for once from each album, we’d go ‘Summertime 35s’ from their debut and ‘Call Me Back Sugar’ from Love In.
A really special shout-out also has to go to the extremely stripped-back spoken word track, ‘remember the future? interlude’, which delivers such matter-of-fact but surprisingly moving Northernisms that we really urge you to find a quiet corner in a dark room and just experience it. Big up The Rec.
couldn’t have done it without the wizardry of @thekaratesuit and a huge thanks to Ramin Bostan for providing the luscious trumpets you hear on track 6 ‘Kharhi’. Both amazing talents in their own right!
Last but not least are the whippersnappers of the bunch, local lads Montello who were recently got onto thanks to the Stanleys lads, who named this little four-piece one of the names helping fly the flag for the mini music hamlet of Wigan.
When we say young by the way, we’re talking no one much older than 17 in this promising little outfit but they’ve already got a style and a sound that gives the impression of a band that has been at this much longer than they have and there’s definitely some similarities to The Lathums, Stanleys and more.
It’s no-nonsense indie rock and you know we love a bit of that. Better production levels and even more confidence will come as they inevitably mature but, at the minute, they’ve got three tracks you have no excuse not to work through them all. The Wigan scene really is growing and we’re here for it.
They also happen to be playing our Audio North stage at Year’s End Festival next month, so we best see your there and listening to live!
And we’re sorry to say it but, once again, that’s all for another month.
We sincerely hope you give these fantastic Manchester-based bands and artists a go over the coming weeks and come back for more recommendations for our final edition of 2024 at the end of December.
Danny Jones -
10th April 2024 
