News

Travel warnings and road closures information issued ahead of Manchester Marathon 2024

The network is going to busyyyy.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 10th April 2024

Greater Manchester residents have been warned to ‘travel smart’ this weekend, with the huge Manchester Marathon 2024 taking place.

There’ll be plenty of road closures around the region to facilitate the event, which will see around 32,000 runners pounding the pavements throughout south Manchester.

Taking place on Sunday 14 April, the 26.2 mile race will also attract thousands of spectators.

Some road closures will be in place across the weekend, and people have been warned that roads and public transport will both be busier than normal.

TfGM is expecting the network in Manchester and Trafford to be very busy before, during and after the race.

Many bus services will be diverted and there may be displaced traffic and congestion.

TfGM has also said that the tram will be the best way to travel to the event, whether you’re one of the brave souls running or just going to cheer them on.

There’ll be a seven-and-a-half minute frequency of Metrolink services along the Altrincham line, with extra double trams to handle increased capacity.

The Manchester Marathon 2024 route will start below the Trafford Arch before heading into the city centre, then will pass through Sale, Altrincham, Timperley, Chorlton and Hulme, before reaching the finish line near the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground.

Road closures and travel advice have been shared ahead of the Manchester Marathon 2024. Credit: TfGM
Road closures and travel advice have been shared ahead of the Manchester Marathon 2024. Credit: TfGM

Mancs have been asked to ‘travel smart’ and leave cars at home, using park and ride services to reach the route on trams.

There’s a dedicated travel page for the Manchester Marathon 2024, and the Bee Network app will also have live departures and travel alerts.

Fran Wilkinson, customer and growth director at TfGM, said: “The Manchester Marathon is always a fantastic occasion. We wish everyone taking part the best of luck and are looking forward to helping runners and spectators get to and from the event as smoothly as possible.

“It’s sure to be a busy day and we’d encourage anyone travelling on Sunday – whether their trip is for the marathon or other reasons – to please check our dedicated webpage for how your journey may be impacted by road closures, bus diversions and busy periods.

“To avoid congestion and for a more enjoyable trip, consider jumping on the tram and using a contactless payment for a fast and efficient way to travel. Park and Ride sites also provide a free place to park before completing your journey on the tram to the race.

“If you are coming as a spectator, why not avoid the busy start and finish points and cheer on your runner from one of the lovely places along the route – whether that’s Sale, Altrincham, Chorlton or somewhere else- and enjoy what south Manchester has to offer?

“All the areas along the route are served by tram stops and it’s more likely you’ll be able to get from A to B more easily.”

You can see the full list of road closures for the Manchester Marathon here.

The Manchester Marathon 2024 travel map, including road closures

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Featured image: The Manc Group

News

Local LGBTQIA+ football team Manchester Laces are set to play in the FA Cup for the first time ever

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Laces playing in Women's FA Cup for the first-time ever

Inclusive football team Manchester Laces are set to break even more new ground as they prepare to compete in the Adobe FA Women’s Cup for the first time ever.

What a truly incredible few years it’s been for the club.

Set to play their maiden match in the female division of the sport’s oldest competition this weekend, Manchester Laces’ Yellows squad will be taking on rival Greater Manchester Women’s Football League (GMWFL) side, Northwich Victoria, in another historic milestone for the local outfit.

Announced last month, the game is now fast approaching, and they’re hoping that plenty of Manc natives will turn up in support.

For anyone unfamiliar with the story, Manchester Laces has grown to become the leading women’s, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ positive sporting bodies in the region.

In fact, as part of a wider family (which includes clubs in Hackney, South London and Limehouse Laces, not to mention players over in Canada too), they’re comfortably one of the biggest in the entire country.

Sticking with MCR Laces alone, founded by Helen Hardy, they have grown so much in reputation and size that they have six different teams besides just the Yellows: the other Manchester squads include the Blues, Greens, Oranges, Purples, as well as the budding new Reds and Blacks.

It’s this kind of impressive expansion and, crucially, representation that has seen them win two Football v Homophobia Awards and Grassroots Initiative of the Year back in 2023.

Side-note: they also happen to have one of our favourite fooy kits of the entire year so far…

Boasting a new regular stadium at Timpson Road and set to take part not only in the North West Women’s Regional Football League (NWWFL)/GMWFL, but now FA Cup and county cup games, 2025 could be their most momentous year yet.

Providing access to countless women and people from within the queer and non-binary community who love the beautiful game and may have otherwise struggled to find an outlet, their work has been crucial in and around Greater Manchester.

With that in mind, taking part in an inaugural run within the prestigious knockout tournament feels like yet another watershed moment for the organisation.

Posting ahead of the fixture, the club wrote on social media: “In 2021, we started our journey in Div 2 of the GMWFL with the aim of creating an inclusive and welcoming space for all. After winning consecutive league titles and earning back-to-back promotions, we are now a Tier 6 team.

Speaking to The Manc, they went on to add: ” A group of mates came together at a park in Wythenshawe for a kick about, feeling a little out of place at other clubs; ‘we should make our own team‘ was thrown out as a somewhat joke.

“A month later, a friendly was played where nine people turned up to start the game, somebody’s girlfriend who’d never kicked a ball played left wing, and a hungover mate turned up after half time to get us to 11 (somehow we won the game).

“Four years later – after becoming one of the largest LGBTQ+ clubs in the country, housing 8 teams – our Yellow side, after back-to-back promotions, will be competing in the FA cup for the very first time.

“We’re so proud as a club to be competing in such a historic competition, as a club that set up to focus on being inclusive and a safe space for people to play football, to achieve what we have is beyond what we could have ever imagined.”

Manchester Laces: the non-binary football club leading the charge on inclusivity in sport
Tickets for Manchester Laces’ debut FA Cup game are just £2 and can be purchased on entry

They signed off by quipping that their story is one that serves as “proof that you can, in fact, fall upwards”, but in all seriousness, what they’ve achieved in such a short time is nothing short of remarkable.

Playing at Ericstan Park, now both the home of Wythenshawe Town FC and the Yellows’ own new home ground too, they kick off at 2pm on Sunday, 7 September. It goes without saying that we wish them the best of luck.

Nothing like the magic of the cup, eh?

Read more:

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Featured Images — Wythenshawe Town FC/Manchester Laces (via Instagram/Facebook)

News

18-21 year olds can now travel on Greater Manchester’s buses for half price

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

18-21 year olds can now apply to travel on Greater Manchester’s bus network for half price, it has been announced.

The Bee Network says it is ‘continuing to lead the way’ when it comes to cutting the cost of public transport, with applications for half price unlimited bus travel for 18-21 year olds now open and around 150,000 young people in Greater Manchester set to benefit.

The new pass will ‘better connect’ young people to work, training, or education opportunities.

With the Greater Manchester economy found to be experiencing faster growth compared to the UK as a whole, and with making travel ‘easier, more affordable, and inclusive’ a critical part of the Bee Network’s success, Mayor Andy Burnham announced the half-price bus travel this week, alongside a raft of other improvements across the region.

Some of the other improvements the Mayor announced include more frequent buses, cheaper travel, and new round-the-clock services.

18-21 year olds can now travel on Greater Manchester’s buses for half price / Credit: TfGM

Young people can now buy a 28-day bus travelcard for just £40, which is half the price of adult fares and the equivalent of just £1.43 per day for unlimited travel on any Bee Network bus in Greater Manchester.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says the new half-price travel is aimed at helping the thousands of young people once their 16-18 ‘Our Pass’ expires, and will support them as they move into further education or the world of work.

“Young people in Greater Manchester have been calling out for an affordable transport option for when their Our Pass expires and this new pass will give them that,” commented Fran Wilkinson, who is the Director for Customer and Growth at TfGM.

“We know this is such an important time in a young person’s life as they look to go into further education or enter the world of work.

“Now as they explore the many opportunities available to them they will be able to use any Bee Network bus as much as they need to at half the price.”

Fatima Bangoura, who is the Youth Engagement Officer at Youth Leads, added: “The new 18-21 pass opens doors for those who may worry about losing that support once their Our Pass ends, making travel for training, apprenticeships, education and employment far more accessible.”

Read more:

Digital applications for the new 18-21 Pass are now open via the Bee Network app, and you can download the app here.

Featured Image – TfGM

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