Get your trainers at the ready, 0161, because the Great Manchester Run is back once again this year and you’ll be glad to hear nothing’s changed: it’s still one of the best days on the sporting calendar.
Taking place in its usual spring slot on Sunday, 18 May, the 2025 Great Manchester Run will once again see thousands of locals and people from all over take on two terrific distances, not to mention thousands raised for charity in what remains a day which shows us Mancs in our best light.
With more than 30,000 runners set to take part and more than 100k spectators expected to line the streets with their signs – and hopefully, some sugary sweets to keep the energy high – we can’t wait to see the crowds gathering throughout the city.
Starting on the long stretch of Portland Street for the half-marathon route and running past both Manchester City and Man United’s home grounds, passing through the likes of Trafford and near Salford Quays, it’s a route many regular racers will be familiar with.
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Better still, if you’re running Manchester’s 10k course Great Run, you get to avoid the long incline over and Mancunian Way and back (thank the lord), although the entire race is largely considered to be fantastically flat compared to many others in the UK.
One thing that both the HM and 10k runs have in common, though, is the grandstand finish towards Deansgate and if you’ve never soaked in the glory and non-stop cheering in that moment before, it should be more than enough to convince you that this is your time.
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Set to be televised on the BBC as it is every year, as well as music zones to keep the tunes and blood pumping throughout the day; multiple designated cheer squads along the route
You only have to take it from those who ran last year to hear how special a day it is:
It’s also a brilliant way to raise money for important causes — read more HERE.
Junior and Mini MCR Runs
But it doesn’t stop there…
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Even more excitingly for the young ones who want to lace up their fastest pair of shoes, children can also get involved with this year’s Great Manchester Run as kids aged three and upwards can take part.
Offering both the mini 1.6km dash for 3 to 8-year-olds and a 2.5k supercharged sprint race available for the juniors (8-15), the 2025 event really is a weekend for everyone. Taking place on Saturday 17th May, the day before the main event, it’s the kids’ chance to take centre stage!
If the crowd cheering their names isn’t incentive enough, a shiny new medal and finishers t-shirt should do the trick.
With the main event on Sunday, 18 May 2025 and with runners getting started from as early as 8:20am, it’s going to be an action-packed day and one you won’t forget. There are eventraining plans to help get you up to speed for race day.
Now into its 22nd year – with the likes of Eilish McColgan and Sir Mo Farah having taken part in the momentous 20th anniversary back in 2023 – the pedigree, support and all-round vibes surrounding this event only get bigger and better each time it returns.
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We tend to find that many who come along watch from the sidelines inevitably get swept up in the spirit of it all and end up entering themselves the following year, so you might as well just take the plunge and join us this year.
You can sign up for the 2025 Great Manchester Run HERE – see you at the start line!
Featured Images — AJ Bell Great Manchester Run (supplied)
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Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to Manchester next month
Daisy Jackson
One of the world’s silliest and most-loved experiences is returning to Manchester this year, offering people the chance to step inside the world of Fawlty Towers.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience sees immersive theatre blend with a three-course dinner, bringing Britain’s most infamous hotel to life.
Fans of the hit 1970s comedy will enjoy two hours of mayhem led by Basil, Sybil and Manuel, all while tucking into a delicious era-appropriate meal.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience has become an immersive dining phenomenon, scooping awards and selling out venues across the globe since launching almost 30 years ago.
In the years since, it’s welcomed more than one million guests, celebrated 13 years of its West End residency in London, and hosted celebrations for 50 years of the original BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.
And now it’s Manchester’s turn, with the event returning to our city between 3 and 15 February.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to ManchesterThe event is hosted by actors playing Basil, Sybil and ManuelAround 70% of the action is improvisedGuests are served a three-course 70s-inspired meal during the Faulty Towers experienceCredit: Rosie Powell
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience will be taking over the Voco hotel on Portland Street for a limited run, starring Aaron Millard as ‘Basil’, Rebecca Norris as ‘Sybil’, and Simon Hourihan as ‘Manuel’.
You can definitely expect two hours of theatre, chaos, and a 70s-inspired three-course meal, but with around 70% of the performances completely improvised, we can’t tell you much more than that…
Producer Jared Harford said: “It’s such a joy to be bringing Basil and the team back to Manchester. After such an incredible 2025 celebrating 50 years of Fawlty Towers, we can’t wait to continue sharing the laughter, chaos and community spirit that make this show so special.”
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience in Manchester:
Tuesday 3 February to Sunday 15 February
Tuesday to Saturday – doors open 6.45pm, seating and show starts 7.30pm
Saturday and Sunday – doors open 12.45pm, seating and show starts 1.30pm
Ticket prices, all including three-course meal and two hour immersive experience:
Tuesday to Thursday dinner, and Saturday or Sunday lunch – £67.50 pp (including fees) Friday or Saturday dinner £71.50 pp (including fees). Bookings can be made via the box office on (+44) 020 3700 3138 or online at www.faultytowersdining.com
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
Daisy Jackson
Autotrader has teamed up with SpudBros, the UK’s viral jacket potato trader, to open the first jacket potato drive-thru in Manchester.
The UK’s largest automotive marketplace is working with the SpudBros duo on the new Autotater drive-thru, where the duo will be handing out free jacket spuds – and which can also value your car in less than 10 seconds.
You’ll be able to visit the one-of-a-kind drive-thru for one day only next month, picking up a baked potato from an exclusive menu that includes the Autotater (a twist on a classic loaded spud) and the Curry In A Hurry (SpudBros’ signature garlic chicken curry).
You’ll also be able to tune into the Spud FM radio with SpudBros co-founders Jacob and Harley. Autotrader and SpudBros have teamed up for the drive-thru experience off the back of new research that has shown 44% of UK drivers have no idea what their car is actually worth.
The same research has also revealed that half of those surveyed are unsure how to determine the value of their car.
So now Mancs will be able to have their car instantly valued in less than 10 seconds, by Autotrader’s award-winning valuation service*, simply by visiting the Autotater drive-thru on 12 February.
Autotrader will be dishing out free valuations, to help ensure car owners don’t get small potatoes for their car and are empowered to choose when it’s the right time to sell.
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
This will be the first drive-thru for SpudBros, a brand which grew a traditional jacket potato van into a national sensation, finding viral fame on TikTok.
With a cult following of more than 4.8m people on TikTok and Instagram, the pair are now bringing their trademark energy offline for a drive-thru window with free spuds.
Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Autotrader said: “We know no one loves admin, which is why we want to make it easier and quicker for people to find out the true value of their car, in under 10 seconds.
“There’s something fun about that moment of surprise when you finally see what your car is really worth. Once you have that information, you can decide what to do next – whether that’s selling, upgrading or simply showing off to your mates.”
Jacob and Harley Nelson, the founders of SpudBros commented: “This is a big one for us. We’ve fed people across the country and even internationally, and Manchester is one of our most requested visits, so this is a really exciting opportunity.
“We love doing things that get people talking, and we also love cars, so teaming up with fellow Northern brand Autotrader lets us serve up something new that we feel passionately about – a free spud, a car valuation, and telling the story through social media.”
The Autotrader drive-thru will open in Manchester on 12 February, at Depot Mayfield. Tickets will be available through a draw on the Autotrader website for a limited time only.
To be in with a chance to get on the guestlist and for more details on the event, head HERE, and to join the millions who value their car free with Autotrader, visit HERE.
You can also follow @autotraderuk on Instagram for the latest updates.
*Highly Commended Winner of the 2025 Car Dealer Power Award in the Used Car Valuations category.
Danny Jones -
4th February 2025 
