We’re now just six weeks out from the 2023 Great Manchester Run and while tens of thousands have already signed up, countless more are set to join in for the event’s 20th anniversary.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an experienced runner or a complete newbie, the Great Manchester Run is a wonderful staple in the city centre’s annual calendar, with enormous crowds gathering every year to cheer on those taking part. It really is one of those days you don’t want to miss out on.
Luckily, there’s still plenty of time to sign up and for anyone on the fence, we want to make sure you have everything you need to not only persuade you to get involved but to make sure you feel prepared.
That being said, here’s how the day is going to look if you’re getting involved:
Great Manchester Run route, baggage holds and starting location
Once you’re all signed up and have found out what wave you’re in, it’s just a case of getting where you need to be and limbering up for your big moment. The half marathon, 10K orange wave and 10k pink wave access the assembly area via Princess Street. As for the HM red wave, 10k green and 10k purple, you can access the assembly point by Charlotte Street.
If you’re looking for where to store your bags, there are two separate areas: one at Manchester Central foyer and then the baggage buses on Jackson Row.
Runners will then gather on the corner of Portland Street and Oxford Road — yes, the one right near the Maccies — and before you set off for what we hope is a personal best (I mean, it will be if this is your first!) — you’ll take part in a big group warm-up.
And the best part is, you’ll have a full team of instructors with megaphones to talk you through everything you need to do during the warm-ups. No more random and ill-executed stretches based off something you saw on the telly once. Here are the routes for the Great MCR 10k and Half Marathon:
10k routeHalf marathon route
Great MCR Run timetable
Half marathon
07:30 – Event site open
08:20 – Warm-up
08:29 – VI Half marathon wave start
08:30 – Orange wave start
08:47 – Red wave start
10K
09:04 – Elite wheelchair (10k) race start
10:25 – Junior and mini-wave start
11:15 – Elite women start
11:18 – Orange, red and green wave warm-up
11:30 – Elite men and orange wave start
11:49 – Red wave start
11:53 – Green wave start
12:25 – Pink and purple wave warm-up
12:36 – Pink wave start
12:54 – Purple wave start
As for when it finishes, that’s up to you, folks!
Credit: AJ Bell Great Manchester Run
Training plans
As mentioned, you’ve still got plenty of time to get yourself ready to race on the 21 May and not only are the Great Run organisers allowing people to enter right up until the Friday before the event, but they’ve also put together bespoke training plans for each distance, all designed by the experts.
Don’t worry if you feel like you might not be on track, the plans are broken down into different time periods and are merely a guideline to help you feel ready for the day — people from all ages and capabilities turn up for the Great MCR Run and adjust accordingly, you’re going to smash it, we’re sure.
In fact, they’ve even got Scottish long-distance runner Eilish McColgan who set the British 10k record just last week as their official ambassador this year, and you can even follow her training tips and advice hub for this year’s event.
We are very excited to announce to you our AJ Bell Great Manchester Run #TeamEilish! 🙌
The team will be mentored by @EilishMccolgan, find out more on our IG stories today 📲
Post-race festivities + medal and shirt collection
Another thing we love about the Great Manchester Run is that it’s always party from start to finish and this year promises to be bigger than ever.
With music zones, big speakers and live bands at virtually every turn, not to mention roaring charity cheering squads and the incredible local support lining streets to cheer you on, it’s an experience like no other. The timed pacers will be even going further to spur you on this year by blasting out tunes all along the course too, meaning you’ll never be short of motivation.
Once you’ve finished, all the runners, along with their families and friends, can kick back, relax and enjoy the post-race celebrations in the Après Run Zone, where there’ll be food, drinks and a live DJ to make sure you’re refreshed and the vibes are immaculate after it’s all said and done.
Lastly, one of the best bits about taking part in a big run like this is getting the customary shirt and medals to prove it and, luckily for those taking part, this year’s Great Manchester Run commemorative shirt and finisher’s medal — inspired by the 20th anniversary of the event — are both belters.
Great Manchester Run road closures and travel advice
Now, if you’re coming from out of town or simply wondering the best way to get about on the day, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) are advising people to take public transport wherever possible due to the increased traffic and numerous roads being closed throughout the day.
Fortunately, as well as the likes of Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Deansgate and Victoria train stations, Manchester is famous for its Metrolink tram network, which has a total of 99 stops, many of which are right where you need to be for the run itself.
The nearest stops to the start and finish lines are St Peter’s Square and Deansgate-Castlefield, respectively — you simply just need to tap on and tap off to pay for your journey. When in doubt, you can always use the TfGM website to plan your journey and live updates will be available via their Twitter.
As for road closures, you can see a full interactive map down below to find out what’s shutting from when and what time it’ll be back open:
As for any last-minute queries — say if you haven’t received your race number yet or need to pick up your pack in person — you can visit the AJ Bell branded marquee on Great Northern Square on Saturday and Sunday, which is open from 10am-4pm on Saturday and 7.30am-3pm on Sunday.
As always, the whole thing will be televised on BBC from 11am until 1pm and there are plenty of places for family and friends to line the street and cheer you on.
Marking two decades of Mancs running their socks off for good causes, a sense of pride and simply to be part of this wonderful city-centre occasion, the 2023 Great Manchester Run is sure to be better than ever.
Here’s why:
The 2023 Great Manchester Run is going to be truly special.
Sign up for the Great Manchester Run 10k or half marathon HERE.
Drag Race UK winner Kyran Thrax plans PERFECT Manchester day out ahead of hosting all-new racing event
Thomas Melia
Ahead of hosting the cleverly-named Drag Race event ‘Glam Prix’ in the city centre, Kyran Thrax plans their perfect day out in Manchester.
Now it’s not a secret that Manchester is home to music royalty, but this city has always been a must-visit for various celebrities – including Drag Race UK season six winner Kyran Thrax.
This talented performer has spent plenty of time in the city centre and is now sharing their Manchester city centre hotspots ahead of their upcoming appearance at entertainment venue Chaos Karts for ‘Glam Prix’.
Kyran Thrax and a whole host of Drag Queens are coming to Chaos Karts for their ‘Glam Prix’ event in Manchester / Credit: Supplied
Thrax begins the day with a light walk through Urbis to reminisce their teenage years, and a must-have time has to be a “three pound can of cider”.
From this, our horizons and tastebuds take a two-minute journey to the always-beautiful Corn Exchange ,which houses a huge selection of food options – but this performer loves one spot in particular.
A special shoutout to the team at the Italian eatery’s city centre site as the performer notes: “[Vapiano] never hits as hard as it does in Manchester”.
After munching down on some much-needed carbs and cheesy goodness, the Drag Race UK winner must pay a visit to not one, but over 60 independent retailers, as they take us toAfflecks.
Afflecks is one of Thrax’s favourite spots and with a huge selection of independent retailers we can see why / Credit: The Manc Group
The UK Drag Queen reveals a fun fact about themselves, noting: “I actually got my nipple pierced in Afflecks and she’s still going strong”.
Now that we’re dazzling in vintage fashion, jewellery, accessories and an all-new nipple piercing courtesy of this independent shopping hub, a night out on Canal Street is definitely necessary.
The Drag Queen has frequented this party paradise, also known as Gay Village, many times and has even performed on various stages.
Thrax recounts: “I was on stage so late that when I left it was daylight. Everyone was going to work with their briefcases and I’m here, 30 inch wig, face immaculate, but my beard’s coming through,” – a stellar night out, if you ask us.
Gay Village is known for throwing some of the best parties including Manchester Pride Festival / Credit: The Manc Group
Kyran Thrax will be hosting Manchester’s first-ever Drag Queen Drag Race event ‘Glam Prix’ at Chaos Karts in Manchester with a team of iconic performers who are ready to take to the tracks.
The event, which cleverly combines both meanings of the phrase Drag Race, takes place just days before Manchester Pride Festival 2025, on Wednesday 20 August.
Although a whole host of Drag performers have been announced, there’s also chance for three lucky members of the public to try and secure pole positions by racing alongside these UK Queens.
If you fancy attending and racing as part of the ‘Glam Prix’ event at Chaos Karts, you can find all the information you need as well as your chance to enter HERE.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
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Bohemian FC are giving away five of their viral Oasis football shirts
Danny Jones
Irish football club and growing cult favourite footy fashion industry-leaders, Bohemians, recently dropped a limited edition Oasis shirt to celebrate the Live ’25 reunion tour.
Now, if you were at the Heaton Park dates or any of the comeback shows, you will likely have seen a fair few gig-goers donning the Bohemian FC x Oasis kit collab.
In fact, even if you’ve walked through Manchester city centre over the past couple of months, the chances are you passed someone wearing one of these Britpop-inspired shirts, which have quickly gone down as music culture collectables.
And while pretty much every bit of Oasis’ official adidas Originals clobber and countless other bits of merch continue to sell out, ‘The Bohs’ are offering you lucky lot the chance to cop a free kit. If you’re interested, keep reading…
The Bohemians x Oasis collab shirt is one of our favourites of the year. (Credit: Bohemian Football Club (supplied)
For anyone unaware of the background behind this crossover, the Bohemians are a 100% fan-owned, not-for-profit organisation, who also happen to be the oldest club in the League of Ireland.
Based in Dublin, the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division side has remained deeply immersed in the local community and its sporting culture throughout their history, and of late, they’ve been further infusing that heritage with their equally deep connection to the arts.
Over the past few seasons, they blended footy with the music world, releasing several exclusive and highly sought-after kits that all tie back into the club in some capacity, including shirts inspired by Bob Marley, compatriots Thin Lizzy and Fontaines D.C. (equally viral), as well as our very own Oasis.
Liam and Noel Gallagher’s following and its Irish contingent, in particular, are as strong as they’ve ever been, so ahead of the reunion shows getting underway last month, Bohemian FC revealed their special FAI Cup shirt paying homage to the Burnage boys.
Featuring the band’s iconic logo in the traditional blue tones of Dublin City, it went down as an instant hit among Oasis and Bohs fans alike, as well as among footy kit culture connosieurs.
Better still, all the profits from the shirt sales are being split between Bohemian FC and two key charities back in the Emerald Isle and in 0161: Music Generation Ireland and Irish Community Care Manchester, based on Stockport Road – not too far from where the Gallaghers grew up.
Now, although the Manc music legends never played Bohemians’ home stadium at Dalymount in Phibsborough, the Gallaghers remain two of the most iconic green and gold-blooded musicians ever.
Having crossed off Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh off their Live ’25 reunion tour, their Dublin double-header is up next this August, with two shows taking place at Croke Park, less than a mile from the hallowed ground.
Whether or not you’ve got tickets to see them in the ancestral homeland, or anywhere else for that matter and want to look the part, or just want to wear your colours for as long as Oasis mania lasts, you might as well throw your hat in the ring to win one of five FREE Bohs footy shirts.
As for how to enter, it’s all very simple: fill out the competition form HERE; like and share this post on X (formerly known as Twitter), and follow our Audio North music page, as well as the official @bfcdublin account on Instagram.
Oh, and tagging a friend or sharing a pic of your best Oasis memories wouldn’t hurt either.
That’s it; we didn’t want to make things complicated – this is a giveaway not only in the hopes of scoring our readers with a freebie but a charitable one that helps Irish cousins over the water and here in Manchester.
Danny Jones -
19th May 2023 
