Lidl is set to become the UK’s highest-paying supermarket as it increases the minimum wages of shop floor staff to over £10 an hour.
After Morrisons became the first UK supermarket to pay at least £10 an hour earlier this year, budget supermarket retailer Lidl has announced that entry-level wages will rise from £9.50 to £10.10 an hour outside London, and from £10.85 to £11.30 in the capital from March next year.
Longer-serving staff will see their pay rates rise even higher, to £11.40 and £12.25 outside and inside London respectively.
Lidl said pay increases will be “depending on length of service” of staff members.
The supermarket claims that the pay increase means it will become the highest-paying supermarket in the country, and added that the increase recognised “the hard work and dedication of frontline colleagues during the last 18 months of the pandemic”.
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The announcement represents a pay rise of more than 6% for some of the 21,000 Lidl staff members up and down the country.
Lidl is set to become the UK’s highest-paying supermarket / Credit: Lidl Careers GB
The supermarket’s bosses said the extra £18 million spend by the business on the new wages equates to £50 million invested in hourly wage increases over the past five years, and it follows what was a £200 bonus to all frontline its workers this year.
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This was alongside £150 gift vouchers for all staff in 2020 during the pandemic too.
Nan Gibson – Chief HR Officer at Lidl GB – said the new pay rise is intended to retain existing staff “as far as possible”, but also to attract new workers.
In June, Lidl also announced a £1.3 billion expansion project.
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The retailer pledged to reach 1,000 stores in the UK by 2023 – including opening 50 new branches over the next two months – and create at least 2,000 extra jobs.
Christian Härtnagel – Chief Executive at Lidl GB – added: “We have ambitious plans to grow our business across Great Britain, and to do that, we need to ensure we attract and look after the best talent at every level of our business.”
Featured Image – Lidl GB
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Manchester Marathon 2026 guide – waves, start times, route map and much more
Danny Jones
It’s nearly that time again: the adidas Manchester Marathon has come back around for 2026, so it’s about time we gave you a helpful guide on everything you need to know.
Doesn’t matter whether you’re running it or are simply set to be one of the countless people expected to line the streets in support of the annual event; there are plenty of important details that can help make it as stress-free as possible.
Well, there are obviously going to be plenty of nerves out on the tarmac, but we already know you’re going to smash it.
So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in…
The great big Manchester Marathon guide – all the key info
We can start off by letting you know that, no, there aren’t any places left to join this year’s Manchester Marathon, but as always, it’s worth keeping an eye out on social media for any last-minute bibs going.
There’s always a fair few drop-outs in the last few weeks leading up to a big race, and while we hope it’s not happened to you or anyone you know, do let people know down in the comments if you know of any spares so we can field out the field as much as possible.
Waves and start times for the 2026 MCR Marathon
Where else to begin than with the start times themselves? If you’re joining the pack this year, you should have long received your race pack by now – if not, you can collect yours/try to sort a back-up bib at the adidas store on Market Street – and therefore should already know when you’re getting going.
However, even if you’re just watching, it can be helpful to know the exact minute that your friends and loved ones’ waves are starting. Here’s a full breakdown:
(Credit: adidas Manchester Marathon)
If you’re wondering how best to track those taking part, as well as sharing names and numbers on race bibs for predictive tracking, we would always recommend turning on the ‘Find My’ app on Apple devices and/or your phone’s equivalent.
We would also suggest sharing your location on WhatsApp, which can be set for several hours and beyond, which is usually pretty accurate.
Manchester Marathon route and event map
As for this year’s marathon route, 2026 marks just the second year that the sell-out Manc run will see its final stretch along the Oxford Road Corridor, with the finish line hosted just outside The University of Manchester’s historic Whitworth Hall.
Complete with a series of adidas-branded hoardings tilted at an angle for those cheering from the sidelines to slam and spur finishers along those last few yards.
Once again, the course will take participants from beneath the Trafford City Arch near White City retail park, down Bridgewater Way, then Chester Road, before heading towards Castlefield and Deansgate, on to Stretford, Sale, Timperley, Altrincham, and then out of Trafford in the direction of Baguley.
Eventually, you’ll make your way back to central Manchester, passing through Chorlton, Whalley Range, Hulme and eventually to the home straight on Oxford Rd for a grandstand finish.
You can see a detailed version of the Manchester Marathon right HERE and/or watch a full virtual tour of the 2026 route down below.
The start area is outside Man United’s Old Trafford stadium, which can be easily accessed by tram or car
Toilets, water and fuelling stations
Now, next up on the list of crucial locations is, obviously, the issue of toilets, as well as water and refuelling stations.
You’ll be glad to know that there will be places to go for your pre-race pees and poos, both in the first pan and in a secondary section just after you begin the starting process and head towards the retail park and Trafford Arch.
From there, runners will be able to use the toilet (fingers crossed you won’t need one) whenever they come across a water station, and in addition to the eight or nine points along the course, you can refuel energy and nutrition-wise with High5 Orange Aqua Gels.
Here’s a quick rundown of where you’ll find them:
Manc Marathon road closures
Next up, it goes without saying that such a big event is not just city centre-wide, but one spread across multiple Greater Manchester boroughs, doesn’t go ahead every single year (not to mention bigger and better each time) without some major logistical planning.
The adidas Manchester Marathon returns to the streets of Greater Manchester this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has now been announced. 🏃♂️🏅
Bag drop and collection points for the Manchester Marathon
The bag drop is situated near the front of Manchester United’s famous home ground, where you’ll also find the official starting area within the E2 car park.
If you plan to use this service (small sports bag or rucksack only), the organisers recommend arriving at least 45 minutes before you are due to access the start line.
Bags will then be collected and loaded into lorries corresponding to your wave colour, which will then transport them to the finish line, where they can be collected with proof. If you’re still unsure about anything, here’s a full explanation.
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Fan zones, cheers squads and popular spectator spots
As for this year’s dedicated Manchester Marathon fan zones and cheer points, you’ll find popular spectator hotspots, including the Deansgate-Castlefield Interchange, the Chester Road roundabout and strip leading up past Stretford Mall and a main section of Chorlton’s high street, just to name a few.
Thankfully, you can find lots more tips on where to cheer on your friends and family via the online Supporter Hub, including help when it comes to tracking them.
In addition to the multiple signposted junctures and atmosphere hubs, with more live music and festivities from artists, charities and local organisations than ever, last year’s Manchester Marathon official Event Village at Circle Square has also seen a big upgrade. Find out more below.
As always, Transport for Greater Manchester is advising everyone making their way to the event this year to use public services wherever possible.
In terms of using the Metrolink trams, Old Trafford tram station is just 10 minutes from the start line, while Trafford Bar, Wharfside, Imperial War Museum and Exchange Quay are your next best options and still only a reasonable walk away.
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One could even say they’re the perfect distance away to go through your full warm-up routine and pre-race checks; you can also check out a full interactive map of the relevant tram lines:
As for this year’s dedicated Manchester Marathon fan zones and cheer points, you’ll find popular spectator hotspots, including the Deansgate Interchange, the Chester Road strip leading up past Stretford Mall and a main section of Chorlton’s high street, just to name a few.
Thankfully, you can find lots more tips on where to cheer on your friends and family via the online Supporter Hub , including help when it comes to tracking them.
In addition to the multiple signposted junctures and atmosphere hubs seen in the virtual route tour above, with more live music and festivities from artists, charities and local organisations than ever, the 2025 equivalent of previous years’ event village comes in the form of an all-new fan zone on Oxford Rd.
Finally, if you were looking to use the bus this weekend, you can see the full list of bus diversions HERE.
Last but not least, there’s nothing else left for us to say other than good luck to everyone taking part, and whatever reason you’re running the 2026 Manchester Marathon, go and SMASH it!
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Manchester Marathon)
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Major ‘plan ahead’ warning issued before Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far
Emily Sergeant
A major ‘plan ahead’ warning for the weekend has been issued ahead of what is set to be Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far.
Heading into the city centre this weekend? Yeah… you and everyone else by the sounds of it, as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is encouraging people to plan their journeys ahead of a ‘Super Sunday’ that sees the return of the Manchester Marathon, while Manchester City also take on rivals Arsenal at the Etihad.
More than 40,000 runners and countless supporters will arrive in Greater Manchester for the marathon on Sunday 19 April.
Runners will set off from the Trafford Arch, near Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium from 8:55am until 11:30am, with the 26.2 mile route covering areas such as Deansgate, Stretford, Sale, Chorlton, and Altrincham, before finishing outside the University of Manchester (UoM) on Oxford Road.
A major ‘plan ahead’ warning has been issued ahead of Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far / Credit: Janus Boye | Supplied
These are likely to cause congestion and delays in the affected areas, TfGM has confirmed, and there will be ‘widespread’ bus diversions.
Elsewhere in the city, Manchester City’s Premier League clash with fellow title-chasers Arsenal kicks off at 4:30pm – with 55,000 fans set to be making their way to the match.
Due to both of these major events taking place on the same day, Bee Network trams and dedicated matchday buses are being touted as the best ways to get around.
👟 Running shoes at the ready… As it’s the @Marathon_MCR on Sunday 19 April.
📣 Going to the race to cheer a runner on? The Altrincham, Timperely, Brooklands and Sale tram stops will be the busiest throughout the day.
It’s predicted that the Altrincham and East Didsbury lines will be ‘very busy’ on the day, and people may have to wait to board a tram so should allow at least 30-minutes extra time for travel, with the quickest way to pay being the contactless ‘tap and go’ payments, where fares are, of course, capped and automatically calculated based on the number of zones you travel through.
Those travelling by bus over the weekend should do so at quieter times where possible, and are advised to check the Bee Network travel alerts hub for any diversions on their route.
Match day buses will still run, but fans should expect some route changes due to the marathon road closures.
People are being ‘strongly advised’ by TfGM not to drive – but for those that need to, using a park and ride site and continuing the journey by tram is a ‘quick and easy’ way to travel into the city centre, and is also free with a valid Metrolink ticket.
Further information for runners, spectators, and match-goers, as well as those making other journeys on Sunday, can be found on the dedicated Bee Network webpage here.
Emily Sergeant -
17th November 2021 
