Sport

Five fantastic freebies and offers for the 2025 Manchester Half marathon

'Oh go on then!'

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 10th October 2025

It’s nearly time: not just for the Manchester Half but, more importantly, the freebies and offers you can get for running it.

Let’s be honest, not everyone loves running for literal miles just for the sake of it; a lot of people need motivation, and besides an inspiring cause, you’d be surprised how many people will get out of bed for something as simple as free stuff.

You might be one of them – you are here reading this, after all.

There’s no long-winded preamble or intro needed to set this up, so let’s just crack on. Here are five brilliant freebies you can get with a 2025 Manchester Half Marathon medal.

What freebies you can get with a Manchester Half finisher’s medal

Now, you’ll be glad to know that most of these are completely gratis, but we thought we’d mention some others that stuck out to us as well.

ADVERTISEMENT

1. Free fizz on The Refuge

First up, how about some free fizz? Well, that’s exactly what you can get this Sunday, 12 October, if you’ve just run the 2025 Manchester Half-marathon.

Participants can head to The Refuge inside the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel after the race to claim a well-earned glass of prosecco – available to the first 100 finishers on a first-come, first-served basis. 

ADVERTISEMENT
free prosecco manchester half marathon
refuge kimpton clocktower hotel

2. Complimentary food and drink at Circolo Popolare

Next up, it doesn’t get much better than a free pizza and a cold one; that’s what Circolo Popolare in Gary Neville’s stunning St. Michael’s building are offering.

Just show your medal and enjoy a free margherita pizza plus your choice of either an ice-cold beer or a refreshing virgin cocktail. Prego!

3. You’ve got to be quick to get House of Social’s freebie

Speaking of free drinks, the first 50 runners who use the last of their energy to dash over to House of Social this Sunday and enjoy a pint on the house.

ADVERTISEMENT

All you have to do is present your medal when ordering to snap up a beer at absolutely no cost. So we’ll see you there, basically.

4. Free pints at The Grosvenor

Self-explanatory, really. The student favourite that used to be the old Footage pub on Oxford Road is offering up a limited amount of free pints to runners, just make sure you show your medal at the bar.

To be honest, even if it wasn’t free, we’d still probably spend a good few hours here sinking affordable pints because it is absolute VIBES at this gaff.

@the.manc Live sport at The Grosvenor is BACK ⚽️ Round up your mates, and book one of their drinks tables to watch your team on their super screen. #themanc #thegrosvenor #championsleague #derby ♬ act slowed – kyra

5. Starter on the house at Italiana Fifty Five

Last but not least, if you’re looking for a lovely carby reward in the city centre, you’re obviously spoilt for choice, but Italiana Fifty Five are offering a free starter when booking and presenting your 2025 finisher’s medal upon arrival.

Available at all Greater Manchester locations, the Italian eatery formerly known as Cibo always delivers good offers, and race day for the MCR Half is no different.

ADVERTISEMENT

Honourable mention…

Bonus breakfast butties at The Wharf

Oh yeah, it might not be a freebie per se, but as one of the busiest post-marathon celebration spots anywhere in Greater Manchester, The Wharf is obviously getting involved beforehand as well.

This year, the canalside Castlefield favourite is serving up sausage and bacon butties from 10-11:30am before the usual Sunday roast service kicks in as normal from 12pm. Now we’ve just got to pray for good beer garden weather.

the wharf mcr half marathon finishers model
manchester half marathon offers

We hope you get to make the most of these freebies and others Manchester Half offers after your race is run, because let’s be honest, running 13.1 miles (21 and a bit kilometres for you metric heads) is a fair bit of effort, so you deserve a treat.

It goes without saying that there’s probably plenty more SWAG to be snapped up in and around the city that we’ve missed, so make sure to let your fellow runners know about them down in the comments.

Finally, if you’re still feeling uncertain about anything to do with the race itself, you can find our full Manchester Half Marathon guide down below.

ADVERTISEMENT
Manchester Half 2025 guide – route, waves, start times and everything you need to know

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/press shot (supplied)

Sport

Manchester Half 2025 guide – route, waves, start times and everything you need to know

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Half marathon guide 2025 everything you need to know

The Manchester Half, the largest of this marathon distance in the entire North West, is back for 2025 this weekend, and literally tens of thousands of Brits and more are set to descend upon 0161 for the big race. And that’s just the runners…

It’s estimated that 26,000 participants are set to lace up their running shoes for the ninth edition of the Manchester Half, which also marks the third and final year of their ‘Express Yourself’ campaign.

This year’s event is also expected to raise £1.5 million for various organisations, with thousands running in support of partnered charities like the Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK and The Christie. One of the best days of the year and all for a good cause.

With all that in mind, whether you’re taking part or just spectating, we want to do everything we can to help to get ready for the event; here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Manchester Half.

Manchester Half 2025 guide – all the important info

What time does the Manchester Half start?

Elite wheelchair participants will set off first at 8:55am, followed promptly by the elite wave at 9:00am.

Following this, the rest of the participants will get going in roughly 10-minute intervals, depending on their allocated colour, with staggered waves setting off up until approximately 10:48am.

You can see all the waves and their relevant start times below:

Credit: MCR Half (supplied)

The Manchester Half route: start and finish line + key checkpoints

Access to the start process is adjacent to Trafford Town Hall; those wishing to use the bag drop can enter the Emirates Old Trafford (Lancashire Cricket Club) stadium via gates 5 and 10.

Marshals will then direct participants to the start line from both locations.

On the route, participants will head towards the city before looping back, passing through Stretford,
Sale, Chorlton-cum-Hardy and eventually the finish line back along Talbot Road.

The full participant guide, containing start times, a detailed breakdown of the route and more, can be viewed here, but you can see a helpful map of the Manchester Half route down below.

Where are the toilet locations, water and nutrition stations on the MCR Half?

As you can see, there will be a total of four drink stations along the half-marathon course. Isotonic Energy Gels from Applied Nutrition will be available at stops two and three.

Similarly, there will be portaloo toilets at each of the water stations, as well as plenty at the Event Village for those pre-race precautions (time that morning coffee carefully, folks…)

Road closures for the Manchester Half

Road closures will be in effect along and around the half-marathon route starting from early on Saturday, 11 October.

Those affected should allow extra time for journeys, as open roads in the surrounding areas will be busy.

Many bus services will also be diverted due to these closures, and you can also expect added congestion further out into Greater Manchester, especially towards Trafford.

Full details of road closures can be found HERE, and you can consult an interactive map below:

How to get to Event Village for the Manchester Half

The tram network will allow both runners and spectators the best access to and from the event.

For a quieter journey, the Imperial War Museum stop is a 15-minute walk to the Event Village. The closest tram stations are Old Trafford (a 3-minute walk) and Trafford Bar (a 10-minute walk), but these will be very busy and will likely have significant queues.

As mentioned, buses will be disrupted by road closures, meaning those arriving in Manchester by train are advised to take the tram directly to the Event Village if and wherever possible.

Participants are advised to avoid driving to the event due to the increased level of traffic already brought about by the well-attended annual event.

For those who do plan on driving, however, there is no official parking, but Manchester United do offer pre-paid parking spaces at Old Trafford. They are available for £18 when booked in advance.

You can find further information and parking recommendations online.

Make sure to double-check your Manchester Half guide on race morning, too. (Credit: Supplied)

How to track runners and watch the 2025 Manchester Half remotely?

Once again, countless numbers are expected to line the Manchester streets in support of those running the MCR Half, but for those who can only cheer on from afar, the race will be available to view via livestream on the full Manchester Marathon YouTube channel.

If you’re looking to see where a participant is along the route, you can find more help on how to best utilise all the recommended tracking features like the ‘Find My’ app, ‘share my location’ on WhatsApp and the Strava beacon function HERE.

ADVERTISEMENT

Supporter hub and dedicated cheer zones

As for where is best to cheer on the 26k or so legends running the Manchester Half, the temporarily re-named Deansgate ‘Inter-rave’ (Deansgate-Castlefield Interchange) will see hordes of spectators amping up the atmosphere at mile 1 with a Cybertruck DJ and ‘kick-off cam showing live starts.

Over at Wharfside, the ‘Buzz Hub’ will enable spectators can see participants twice on their journey past
the iconic Old Trafford stadium, before heading toward Stretford. There will also be inflatable dancing
bees and a DJ.

Other prime viewing spots include Stretford, Sale and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The Event Village at LCCC will also have a large screen showing live finish line coverage, as well as food outlets and activities from partners for everyone to enjoy.

It’s highly recommended that supporters avoid going directly to the finish line, where viewing will be
limited due to large crowds and one-way systems.

Easy bit of advice that often gets forgotten for you here: organise a specific meeting point to reunite with those runners beforehand – saves a lot of time and faff among the crowds.

ADVERTISEMENT

What/who else to look out for at this year’s Manchester Half…

Other things to keep in mind include the official Manchester Half shakeout run, which is being hosted by lead sponsors PUMA and Runna, and takes place the official Manchester Half shakeout run will take place on Saturday, 11 October.

Having set up another pop-up for this year’s event, where top-end running trainers, merch and other goodies can be picked up, they’re just one of many brands getting involved with the wider 2025 Supporter Hub.

For instance, ERDINGER’s – who will be handing out alcohol free beers for those crossing the finish line – are also serving as this year’s team of pacers.

If you’re looking to get a certain time in your race, as well as assembling with the rest of your wave at the start line, look out for your relevant pacer at the start on the day.

That should be just about all the key details you need to know for this year’s Manchester Half-marathon guide, but if in doubt, you can always check the event website for more info.

ADVERTISEMENT

Last but not least, make sure you get a good breakfast in, prepare your race kit all ready the night before, get plenty of rest and drink even more water.

Best of luck to all those running, not that anyone needs it – you’re going to absolutely SMASH it and we’ll see you at the pub for plenty of celebrating afterwards!

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied)

Sport

A massive social for Manchester runners is happening in the city centre this winter

Danny Jones Danny Jones

With the bulk of race season nearly over, the local running community is finally starting to wind down and indulge in some well-deserved rest and relaxation – well, that and a sprinkle of clubbing, as the massive Cross Club Social for Manchester runners is back for 2025.

Following a successful sophomore edition last winter, the MCR Cross Club Social is returning for another proper good bash and looks to be shaping up nicely.

Hosted at a brand new venue, with sets from Manc-based DJs, karaoke and even giveaways on the night, the runners are going BIG this year.

So, if you’re part of a local running club or even just a Greater Mancunian who’s partial to a bit of jogging and looking for a night out, you’d best keep 8 November free.

cross club social mcr
running event fairfield social club manchester
Credit: Cross Club Social

Combining forces once again, the third iteration of the Cross Club Social sees multiple Manchester running clubs putting on one of the biggest parties of the year, with people from all over the community turning up to swap their trainers for dancing shoes.

Ticket prices have crept ever so slightly this year, mainly because of just how well attended the 2025 event was, but also to help raise money for their official charity partner.

Helping generate funds for the annual Manchester 24-Hour Run Against Homelessness, which takes place less than a week after this year’s Cross Club date, it’s also for a good cause.

Clubs signed up this year include:

However, it goes without saying that all newcomer clubs and solo runners in general and welcome to come along to this year’s event, which is also the first to be held at Fairfield Social Club near Angel Meadows Park – the more the merrier, as far as these lot are concerned.

For example, here’s a taste of the kind of turnout it got last year…

Speaking to The Manc, organiser and resident MC Dave ‘Macca’ McLaughlin said of Cross Club Social 2025: “This event is a celebration of the local running community, by the local running community.

“It’s a great chance to get some of the biggest running clubs in Manchester together to celebrate their achievements of the year without the running kit or carbon-plated trainers.

“It’s a pleasure to organise an event that local runners seemingly love, alongside some of Manchester’s biggest running clubs, all while raising money for our charity partner. Last year, we were able to contribute nearly £400 to their fundraiser, and we’re aiming for even higher this year.

“The demand has been huge – our first event sold out in under 50 minutes, last year was just under two hours at a bigger venue. This year we’re going even bigger to handle the demand, with more clubs than ever and a venue with three separate rooms for different kinds of entertainment.

“Me and Sophie [de Greenlaw – fellow DJ and co-founder] hope to continue expanding the event into a day-long running festival; we’d love to book bigger venues, get more clubs and sponsors involved, and make this a day that every local runner has marked on their calendar. See you there.”

Credit: Supplied

Early bird access will be on sale from 10am this Friday, 10 October, with the general admission tickets going live at the same time next week (17 Oct).

The social itself will run from 5pm until midnight, with last entry at 8:30pm, and you can bank on there being some kind of after-party elsewhere on the night. Get ready to grab your tickets HERE.

It’s also worth noting that the two previous years sold out fast, so make sure you put in a PB-worthy performance when it comes to that online shopping basket if you want to be there.

Once again, the Manchester Runners Cross-club social is a completely non-profit event; all funds from ticket sales go directly towards setting up the next one, back into the running clubs who take part, and to charitable organisations like The MCR 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness.

Speaking of which…

Brand new venue confirmed as the host of The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied

More Sport

R360 league respond to joint statement from rugby unions opposing breakaway competition

News

Breakaway competition R360 issues statement after rugby unions warn players of sanctions

Ruben Amorim says he won't quit as Man United manager

News

Ruben Amorim insists he ‘cannot’ quit as Manchester United manager

Luke Littler splits from ZFX Sports management

Sport

Luke Littler announces split from management ahead of 2025 World Grand Prix

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches