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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
A huge Stanley Chow exhibition featuring inflatable portraits of Manc icons is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Some of Manchester’s most famous faces are about to get even bigger, with a new Stanley Chow exhibition coming to town this summer.
And rather unusually, the artist’s portraits will be inflatables…
The huge new MCR Made exhibition is set to take over Manchester Arndale from 3 August all the way into the autumn.
Shoppers and locals will be able to admire 13 portraits of Manc icons, which will be up to six metres in length, whether it’s Oasis legends or Suffragettes, football heroes or creative pioneers.
The gigantic inflatable Stanley Chow portraits will be suspended right across the iconic shopping centre for an art trail that celebrates the figures who have shaped the city.
The impossible-to-miss exhibition features famous faces from the worlds of music, sport, science, politics, art and culture.
Along the trail you’ll spot the likes of Liam and Noel Gallagher, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Emmeline Pankhurst, Alan Turing, L.S. Lowry, Lemn Sissay, Caroline Aherne, Aitch, and a host of other trailblazers, all in Stanley’s signature and distinctive style.
MCR Made showcases the work of legendary local artist and illustrator Stanley Chow in an exciting new way, encouraging exploration through photo opportunities and a social media competition.
Stanley Chow said: “The Arndale Centre for me is my Mecca, and I’m sure it is for so many people from Manchester. I’m old enough to remember when it first opened as a shopping centre nearly 50 years ago, and I haven’t stopped coming here since.
Inflatable portraits by Stanley Chow will take over Manchester Arndale this summer
“I’m a proud Mancunian, so I was very flattered and touched to be asked to do this. Art needs to be seen everywhere, and not always necessarily in a gallery. I can’t think of a better place for as many people as possible from all walks of life to be able to see my work presented this way.”
David Allinson, Centre Director at Manchester Arndale, said: “Manchester has always been a city that outperforms and exceeds expectations. Through music, sport, science, politics, creativity and innovation, Manchester’s influence is recognised around the world, and MCR Made celebrates the icons whose talent, ambition and determination helped build that reputation.
“The exhibition feels particularly at home inside Manchester Arndale, itself a Manchester institution that has been woven into the city’s fabric for almost five decades. The shopping centre provides the perfect backdrop for celebrating Manchester, its creativity and the iconic figures behind its global reputation.”
Manchester Arndale will also be giving visitors the chance to own a piece of MCR Made, with 26 limited edition A4 prints signed by Stanley Chow up for grabs. Two prints of each icon have been produced, with winners allocated their artwork at random. To enter, simply follow @manchesterarndale on Instagram and like the competition post.
MCR Made will run at Manchester Arndale from 3 August – 24 October, and is totally free to visit.
P1 Fitness – The Manchester gym that strikes the perfect blend of PT and group-based coaching
Danny Jones
We here at The Manc team are trying to get fit; it can be hard to find time for the gym when you’re busy, not to mention staying in shape when you’ve got a food scene as good as Manchester’s, which is exactly why P1 Fitness Studio is a perfect match for us.
Maybe you’ve fancied giving a personal trainer a go, or even tried a class or two, but perhaps the schedule, the price, the location or some other factor meant it wasn’t for you.
Whatever your reasoning, if you’re the kind of person who can admit they need a bit of a kick up the backside to get their arse in gear and actually stick at this gym lark, we can assure you this is an ideal place to build the right kinds of habits.
And trust us, they’ll keep pushing to make sure it sinks in.
Top-end facilities, secure lockers, every bit of kit you’ll ever need and much more (Credit: The Manc)
Aside from the anti-ego environment in general – you won’t catch anyone staring at themselves in mirrors here – it’s also just nice to be around people with similar lifestyles.
Boasting tonnes of positive reviews online, P1 Fitness is a place for busy professionals who aren’t willing to let work and all other time-consuming parts of ‘adulting’ be an excuse to not carve out less than an hour to better themselves.
And for most people, that really is all it takes to start seeing a difference; two 50-minute sessions might not sound like a lot to some, but the effort you put in during the group workouts is more than enough to get the benefit.
They focus on quality, not quantity, making sure every day that you turn up is worthwhile, and no drop of sweat is wasted.
Better still, they keep the numbers low and even break off into smaller groups to explain and tailor workouts to suit each person.
It’s not just weekly blocks stuck on a wall that you have to stick to: everything is flexible, and they do try and give everyone as much one-on-one attention as possible from the P1 staff.
Here’s what some other members have had to say in their recent testimonials:
“The biggest difference isn’t that I’m fitter and stronger. It’s that I don’t have to think about it anymore. Before P1 I’d spend all week telling myself I needed to go to the gym, then I’d be too tired, it’d be busy, I didn’t know what to do, and I’d end up doing nothing and beating myself up about it.
“Now I just turn up twice a week. Someone tells me what to do, I get coached to do it right, then shower, go back to work and my fitness takes care of itself. It’s one less thing I have to worry about.”
Louise
“I genuinely thought I hated gyms. In fact, when I saw one, I used to cross the street to avoid it… Turns out I hated the ‘usuall’ gym experience. Wondering what I was supposed to be doing, fighting for equipment in the crowd and being self-conscious about my form.
“At P1, I simply walk in, everything’s ready – someone coaches me through the session, we have a laugh in the group, and before I know it I’m finished. I actually look forward to training now, which is crazy.
Damien
One of our very own, Lonnie, says it’s given him a sense of “structure, routine and a community” in the gym like never before, and added that “it’s become that third space where people can come together to better themselves in a fun and unique way.”
Abby is ever the hard-working, friendly face; her husband and fellow co-owner, Peter, is a ‘BFG’ who will always push you to your limits but knows when not to beast you; Ben is a great instructor with a great way of breaking down movements, and Mel is the smiling assassin who is as dedicated as she is smiley.
Then there’s Katie, who is somehow juggling a PhD and working at P1 part-time, all whilst being an absolute Duracell bunny of a trainer. All in all, you couldn’t ask for a better team.
Best of all, you can choose when to register for a session based not only on who you prefer working with, but whatever time suits you; you can even put your name down as last-gasp as you like – in fact, we’ve turned up with five minutes’ notice on more than one occasion.
It’s also great to see that they’re more than happy to roll out a mat or pick up a weight and properly get stuck in there with you.
Put simply: much like you, all of these guys have their own special traits, but one thing they do all have in common is an incredible amount of drive and passion for the work they do, not to mention the knowledge and experience to back it up.
We’re not going to give you any harder of a sell than that; all we’ll say is that we’re feeling more positive about our current fitness journey than we have in a long time, and if you want to make similar progress, P1 might just be for you.
So, if you are truly looking to get fitter in a setting where consistency, accountability and community thrive, consider this your sign to finally get serious.
You can find out more and enquire about joining right HERE.
You won’t find a friendlier team. (Credit: Supplied)
Danny Jones -
19th May 2023 
