Feature

2024 Manchester Marathon guide – start times, route, road closures and everything else you need to know

All of the important info ahead of the big day.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 10th April 2024

The adidas Manchester Marathon is back for 2024 and the region is already getting set for thousands of Mancs to take on the annual challenge.

Not only the second-largest race of its kind in the UK but the fourth most popular in all of Europe, the Manchester Marathon welcomes more than 30,000 runners every year and even more spectators from all over the continent. We’re talking around 125,000 people lining the 26.2-mile route. Yowza.

With an unprecedented demand for places at this year’s event, which has been running rather unbelievably since 1908 (no pun intended), this year’s Manchester Marathon on Sunday, 14 April 2024 is genuinely set to be the biggest yet.

So if you’re taking part or just cheering the competitors on from the sidelines, here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon.

Manchester Marathon Route, waves and timings

manchester marathon route 2024
The 2024 Manchester Marathon map.
manchester marathon start line 2024
The start line.
Along the way, runners can expect to take in some of Manc’s most iconic landmarks, from
Bridgewater Hall and the Beetham Tower to the Theatre of Dreams itself and many more

As with previous years, the route will start and end over in Trafford. Participants will set off underneath Trafford Arch at White City Circle, making their way past Old Trafford before
heading back towards the city centre via Chorlton and Hulme.

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After reaching the city centre, runners will then head towards Stretford, passing through Sale
before turning off as they approach Timperley and eventually reach Altrincham around the 16-mile mark.

The final leg of the route will take runners through Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, with Talbot Road leading you back to the finish line. For those feeling any nerves (like the runner currently writing this), you’ll be glad to know the Manchester Marathon is one of the flattest in the country.

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You can see the full breakdown of timings and coloured waves down below. You can also watch the full virtual run-through of the running route HERE.

manchester marathon start times 2024
You can view the full participant guide HERE.

Event Village – entry points, bag drop, toilets and more

Event Village will once again be based around the Emirates Old Trafford, home of Lancashire County Cricket Club, where participants will also be able to find entry points to the start line.

Info points, bag drops and toilet facilities will also be available around the pre and post-race complex, along with first aid tents and dedicated access routes from nearby parking spots and local transport.

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Event Village will be strictly open to runners between 7:30–10:30am, operating on a one-way system, before being opened up to the thousands of supporters expected to line the streets.

You can see a full map of the area down below, including where to drop your bags and nip to the loo before you set off on your race – and don’t worry, there will be places to stop for the toilet along the route if nature is annoying enough to calls.

where is event village manchester marathon?
To help you familiarise yourself with your surroundings.

Road closures for the Manchester Marathon

The road closures for this year’s marathon include the A56 (Northbound and Southbound), with the officials set to start closing roads at 3am and begin re-opening roads from 2pm onwards after the course begins to clear.

The last closed road is expected to re-open around 8pm through Chorlton and Old Trafford towards the end of the course.

You can find further details on road closure and what other parts of Greater Manchester are set to be impacted HERE.

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Travel advice

As mentioned, road closure will obviously impact people coming in and out of the city as well as to various spots along the marathon route, so whether you’re a local or travelling in from elsewhere, it’s worth knowing where to be and where’s best to avoid too.

Travel warnings and advice have now been issued by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), which you can see in full here.

In a nutshell, it’s expected that public transport will be very busy before, during and after the race, but the Metrolink trams still remain the best way to get around. Bus routes will be being diverted.

People have been asked to leave their cars at home or use park and rides where possible due to all the road closures, displaced traffic and expected congestion.

It goes without saying that there will also be a significant number of road closures throughout Sunday as well. However, once again, the wonderful organisers have you covered; you can see the full list of closures HERE and they have even put together an interactive map for you to check what’s shut when:

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Public transport

People are also being advised to leave their cars at home where possible to avoid the busy roads, or to at least use the free park-and-ride services on the way into Manchester and travel to their destinations via our city’s wonderful tram network.

Metrolink will be operating a six-minute frequency on the Altrincham line with more double trams and increased capacity along various other lines too. That being said, services are expected to be extremely busy throughout the day, so if you can travel flexibly, the predicted quietest time to travel is around 4pm.

Once you’ve tapped on and tapped off, most fan corners, cheer zones and regular spots for supporters to gather together should only be a short walk away from your chosen tram stop.

New mascots, event shirts and the 2024 finisher’s medals picked by the public

This year, the adidas Manchester Marathon also welcomes on board a brand new mascot, Chester the Bee, who will join the event’s much-loved existing mascot, Manny the Bee to help bring extra cheer to the festivities on the day.

As we all know and love, Manchester has a vibrant LGBTQIA+ community and, as the organisers said in a press release, “introducing mascots that celebrate this diversity allows the marathon to reflect these identities within Greater Manchester. It’s a way to honour the unique contributions and experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and showcase their pride within the larger community.”

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Better still, the organisers donate £1 for every participant taking on the marathon straight to the Trafford Active Fund, which offers local groups the chance to receive a special allocation of funding to build a long-lasting sport and physical activity legacy in Greater Manchester. Money from the marathon also goes towards planting trees across the region through the Green Runner scheme.

You can also see what this year’s general public selected as the design for this year’s Manchester Marathon finisher’s medal design down below. It’s a pretty one.

Read more:

With a record 32,000+ runners set to hit the streets of 0161 this year, we cannot wait for people all over the ten boroughs to get soaked up in the spirit of the day.

It’s genuinely one of the most wholesome dates on the calendar and we’re just praying for a sunny day to make it perfect.

It’s also estimated that the event will raise around £3.5 million for hundreds of charities,
with nearly 2,000 places allocated to representatives from Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer
Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie. You absolutely love to see it.

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Good luck to everyone taking part on the day — you’re all going to absolutely smash it.

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

Featured Images — adidas Manchester Marathon

Feature

You can ‘run and rave’ as part of this new charity-driven social in Manchester city centre

Danny Jones Danny Jones Run The Streets MCR running social event Manchester city centre

If you’re looking for a fun new way to spend a night out or thinking about getting into running but maybe haven’t quite found the right way in for you just yet, this new Manchester run social that starts and ends with a good old-fashioned party might be right up your street.

Run The Streets MCR is a community-led and charity-driven fitness and social event that recently launched in Manchester and has already developed a bit of a cult following in the space of only a couple of months.

The concept is simple: it’s a running social where you can meet new people whilst getting your yards in, just not quite as you know it. Instead of people turning up for a 5k and then heading home, the fun carries on at a host venue where people can keep chatting and mingling whilst having a boogie.

And the best part is that not only is it more of a causally paced, low-pressure jog and crucially social-first, but it’s all for a good cause too.

How it began and the purpose behind the event

Started out by East Manchester locals and lifelong mates, Liam Parker-Worsley and Sarah Edwards, (‘Sezzle’ to those who know her among the Manc running circles), Run The Streets started out as a running social concept at its very core but has now become truly bigger than the sum of its parts.

While the ‘run and rave’ idea has been done before, this particular event is the first of its kind in Greater Manchester and after facing some serious obstacles to get it off the ground and plenty of adversity at the very first hurdle – for lack of a less punny phrase – they’ve managed to turn it into a force for good.

After pivoting the model at the start of 2024 to be completely non-profit, the monthly event is now helping bring people together for a good time, from the tarmac to the tiles, all whilst raising money for the likes of The Running Charity (TRC).

Not only do all the proceeds from the super affordable tickets – we’re talking the same price you’d pay for a decent pint in town these days – go straight back into running the next social, but they also help fund the chosen charity for that month.

Be it national causes like TRC, which recently received huge support from the incredible ‘Hardest Geezer‘s run across Africa, or charities strictly local to Manchester, everyone involved is striding towards a goal – quite literally.

What is Run The Streets MCR?
Meet the team behind the new non-profit run social in Manchester.

Offering a different kind of night out

Speaking to The Manc, co-creator Sezzle says the mission statement is simple: “Everyone’s welcome and you can meet new people whilst running but at the same time we’re giving back to the community.

“We’re supporting local charities, artists and DJs, as well as local running clubs who want to get involved. Essentially, it’s just about bringing people together, which is what run clubs do, but we’re also in a big city and not everyone wants to go out and just drink at a bar all night.

“You want to keep fit, it’s good for your mental health, but you also still want to be social and enjoy yourself. Run The Streets is that Mancunian through and through but everyone’s invited.”

Sober for five months now, she acknowledged that outlets like this are crucial, insisting: “I don’t want to stop going out and having a good time or meeting new people, so this is a way that you can still go out on a Friday night and enjoy a party atmosphere with no pressure to drink”.

run the streets manchester running social
This is what the start of a night in trainers, hi-vis and glow sticks looks like. (Credit: Supplied)

The ‘by Manchester for Manchester’ ethos

Her partner in crime Liam echoed that party-run description, reiterating that whilst people can still get a bit boozy if they like, it’s all about “providing an alternative for anyone who doesn’t want to drink and want to be included but might have felt a little alienated otherwise”.

A fellow Tameside native, he explained how Run The Streets has already partnered with zero-alcohol brands like Clean Break for their inaugural event back in March and now alcohol-free favourite Lucky Saint for their sophomore social this month.

They’ve also already managed to get sports brands involved in the event, offering giveaways, running shoe try-ons and more, most notably hosting the Fight Day 5k across the city centre in partnership with Matchroom Boxing.

“It’s not about the financial aspect for us”, says Liam, “we only charge for tickets to sustain the event and pay for the talent, hiring spaces and so on… It might be different venues, different charities etc., but as long as we focus on core issues to Manchester with a cultural element that’s important to us, we’re happy with that”.

Sez couldn’t agree more, adding: “At the end of the day, we’re Mancs, we’ve watched the city grow into what it is today. When it comes down to it everyone knows about the Manchester spirit, it’s a hard-working area and there’s such a community to this place – we want to make sure everyone feels welcome.

“We look out for each other. That’s how it’s always been.”

Their recent running event with Matchroom ahead of the Gill vs Barrett fight at AO Arena. (Credit: Run The Streets MCR)

Roots in the running and wider Greater Manchester community

Chatting with Tom Lewis, founder of Manchester’s annual 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness and Chairman for the Run The Street’s official host club, Manchester Road Runners, he said that they became interested because they “really liked the idea of sponsoring different charities every month”.

Confessing that it felt like “a natural crossover” given MRR’s size and ethos, as well as their own non-profit work with the British Heart Foundation and Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, he said the “overall response from the first event was incredible – everyone just loved it”.

“There were people dancing on the streets as they saw us come past and there were so many videos on social media. That sort of stuff can really help get people into running who wouldn’t necessarily consider it in the first place.”

“I think it’s going to grow really quickly; the first event sold out and I think the next ones will too, definitely. It’s great to see what just a random group of friends can accomplish when we come together.”

This massive Manchester running club where jogs finish at the pub is the best
Manchester Road Runners is helping bring huge numbers to the event already.

Liam himself couldn’t speak highly enough of the Castlefield-based group, insisting that “me and Sez find a lot of happiness and solace” at MRR.

While they are affiliated with others like KOKO (Keep On Keeping On’s Manchester arm) and Stretford Run Club that they want to help promote, the hope is that events like this might help people who run but don’t attend a club might give them a try in the future.

Regular ambassador and volunteer at both organisations, Natasha Barclay – who herself is over a year into her own sobriety journey – described the flagship event as “such good fun, really welcoming” and filled with plenty of people who had never even run before.

Nat also urged people not to be scared if they’re first-timers to run socials or running full stop, reassuring that “no one gets left behind; even if you can’t really run, you’ll always make it back, have a good time and meet others in the same boat”.

She went on to add: “Run The Streets MCR is all about giving back to the running community which I think can often get overshadowed by social media and certain brands. The spirit can sometimes get taken out of it but this run social puts its straight back in whilst helping Manchester business and DJs.”

Read more:

When we asked the guys to sum this whole experience up in three words or less that weren’t ‘rave and run’, they came up with some pretty telling answers too. “Community, soul and fun”, “alternative Friday fun” and our personal favourite: “Simply for Manchester”.

It’s also worth reiterating that these guys have done it completely off their own backs and are doing so on an entirely voluntary basis on top of their full-time jobs, sometimes juggling two or three different roles. It’s been built over countless late nights and dinner hours, all for the love of running and the city.

The second ever Run The Streets MCR running social and party kicks off this Friday, 26 April from 7pm at Joshua Brooks, with a light 5k around our lovely city centre starting at 7:30pm before heading back to the venue for more tunes, dancing, glowsticks and general good vibes from 8pm onwards.

You can grab the last few remaining tickets HERE and we hope to see a few of you there on the night.

guy running with a speaker in manchester
Come rain or shine, there’s always tunes to keep you going.
run the streets mcr deaf institue
The turnout at the last Run The Streets Manchester social at The Deaf Institute.
Credit: Supplied/The Manc Group

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Run The Streets MCR

Feature

What to expect from Soho House when it finally opens in Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The rooftop pool at White City House

Soho House Manchester is surely one of the city’s most hotly-anticipated (and long-awaited) new openings.

The luxury members’ club has been slowly transforming the Old Granada Studios in the city centre into a multi-storey hub that will include restaurants, bars, bedrooms, event spaces, a gym, and – notably – a rooftop pool.

At one point, its grand opening was locked in for 2022 – but now we’re in 2024 and still no official opening date has been announced.

But there’s good reason for that – you cannot rush perfection. And you can expect perfection when annual membership costs close to £3,000.

We may still be looking at the same set of artist impressions for Soho House Manchester, but after a whistle-stop tour of several other of their UK locations, we finally have an idea of what to expect from their first venture north.

One thing you’re guaranteed to find is attention to detail. 

Not one inch of Soho House is overlooked when it comes to their design – every corner, nook and cranny has been considered and made beautiful.

Every site is different from the last, lifting inspiration from the building it takes over and the history of the local area.

Bedrooms at White City House in London
Bedrooms at White City House in London
A lounge area at Soho House's White City House
A lounge area at Soho House’s White City House
White City House's bar
White City House’s bar
Pen Yen, a Japanese restaurant in Soho House
Pen Yen, a Japanese restaurant in Soho House
Another Soho House lounge space
Another Soho House lounge space
The rooftop pool at White City House
The rooftop pool at White City House
Click or swipe through the gallery above to see inside Soho House’s White City House

For example, White City House, constructed within the iconic, circular former BBC HQ, has collages of nostalgic programmes, analog TVs stuck to the walls, and mid-century modern furniture that tastefully nods back to the building’s most significant era.

But then you head to the very first Soho House location, tucked in a tall townhouse in the heart of bustling Soho, and it’s all about elaborately patterned wallpapers, plump colourful cushions, chintzy curtains.

With Soho House Manchester taking shape inside Old Granada Studios, we can expect a nod to our city’s broadcasting heritage, probably some 1960s-inspired interiors (this building held the Beatles’ first television performance in 1962), and hopefully not a Hacienda stripe in sight…

You want another example of attention to detail? Every Soho House even has its own stripe, used on its towels and stationery and other items dotted around the spaces. For Manchester, it’s going to be a navy and ochre wave pattern.

So while there are similarities between every location, this is far from being a copy-and-paste brand.

The same applies to the customer service. It’s quite remarkable to sit and watch how staff at each House will greet members by name at just a glance, very much like that scene in The Devil Wears Prada but I can’t see a panicked Emily Blunt whispering in anyone’s ear here.

Another recurring feature at Soho House will be total privacy. There’s a strict no-photos policy that means even the most A-list of guests (yes, including Harry Styles) can relax and enjoy the space without the fear of having their picture sold to a tabloid.

The pool at Soho Farmhouse
The pool at Soho Farmhouse
Soho Farmhouse bedrooms
Soho Farmhouse bedrooms
Private dining space at Soho Farmhouse
Private dining space at Soho Farmhouse
The 'Lazy Lake' hot tubs at Soho Farmhouse
The ‘Lazy Lake’ hot tubs at Soho Farmhouse
Another Soho House restaurant
Another Soho House restaurant
A look around Soho Farmhouse before Soho House opens in Manchester

If you whip out a phone, you’ll be told politely but firmly not to take photos or videos… not that many people even try. The application process to become a Soho House member is rigorous, so once you’re in, almost everyone plays by the rules.

And it really is private. One does not simply walk into Soho House, even if you do have cash to spend. In fact, the only way you can set foot into these hallowed halls without being a member is to be invited as a guest of an existing member.

Memberships are generally offered to those working in the creative industries, so you’re never more than a few metres from artists, music industry bigwigs, actors, dancers, writers, designers and more.

Inside any one house, you probably will spot a famous face or two (on our trip to Soho Farmhouse I clocked a legitimate Hollywood A-lister), but you might not notice – they’ll be treated the same as every other guest, and will be relaxing safe in the knowledge that they’re not about to be pestered for a selfie.  

Restaurants for Soho House Manchester haven’t been confirmed yet, but our tour of existing locations included several signature restaurants that would be very welcomed in our city.

We could get Pen Yen, a vibrant Japanese restaurant; or Little Berenjak, a sister site for the Persian restaurant in London that is so popular, it’s nigh-on impossible to get a table.

Picante, Soho House's signature cocktail
Picante, Soho House’s signature cocktail
Attention to detail even includes complimentary condoms in the bedrooms
Attention to detail even includes complimentary condoms in the bedrooms
An event space in the original Soho House
An event space in the original Soho House
Bikes at Farmhouse
Bikes at Farmhouse

One thing we’re sadly not likely to experience here in Manchester is the peace and tranquility enjoyed at Soho Farmhouse, where features include a heated outdoor pool and hot tubs sunk into the lake, pretty green bikes you can cycle around on, and cosy rooms built into wooden cabins or ‘piglet’ style huts.

But if you sign up for the ‘Every House’ membership, you can at least pay it a visit.

But what is on the cards for us is a rooftop pool with sunbeds and a bar; an enormous gym space (Soho House has said this is a priority, and after seeing how busy the gym at White City House is, I can see why), fitness studios; a steam room and sauna; a ninth-floor late-night bar and live music space; casual lounge areas serving food and drink; a formal restaurant; an events space with a bar and DJ booth; 23 bedrooms of varying sizes; and an 80sq metre two-bedroom private apartment. Phew.

Set to be the first Soho House site in the north, it will join other UK sites across London, in Oxfordshire, in Somerset, in Windsor and in Brighton.

An exact opening date for Soho House Manchester is expected to be confirmed soon.

Soho House Manchester – memberships and application process

The full membership gains you access to all 41 Soho Houses globally, and costs £2,950.

But if you want to just use Soho House Manchester, that will cost £1,925.

There are cheaper memberships available for under-27s.

As part of the application process, you’ll need to supply a headshot, information about your work and industry, links to your online profiles, and several other titbits about yourself.

It helps if you already know a couple of existing Soho House members who can refer you, too.

And you must confirm that you’ll abide by the house rules, which you can see here.

Soho House Manchester memberships are open now and you can apply here.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

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