A dedicated all-day fan zone is being set up in the city centre for this year’s Manchester Marathon, and it’s in a prime location.
The 2025 Manchester Marathon is fast approaching, with more than 36,000 runners set to take on the challenge and even more spectators expected to line the streets.
With that in mind, the adidas Manchester Marathon team have teamed up with property developers Vita Living to host a huge fan zone in one of the city’s fastest-growing town squares and neighbourhoods.
Popping up in Circle Square on Oxford Road Corridor and just down the road from the marathon’s new finish line, you arguably couldn’t ask for a better place for a fan zone for those taking in the festivities of what is a massive date on the Manchester calendar.
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Not only is it a much more central location for civilians to immerse themselves in the excitement, but with the bustling area almost acting as a self-contained district tucked away between Vita’s accommodation buildings, it achieves a similar effect as the typical event village located around Emirates Old Trafford.
Based around the mini green space that is Circle Square‘s Symphony Park, there’ll be a big outdoor screen to watch all the action, with multiple pop-ups, activities for all ages and tonnes more.
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What’s on at the Circle Square Fan Zone?
Entertainment
As well as the big screen streaming the 2025 Manchester Marathon from start to finish, including build-up events, interviews and post-race features, there’ll be other entertainment to enjoy.
Besides the tunes being pumped out as part of the race day party atmosphere, you can expect live performances by the likes of Bhangracise Manchester, plus plenty more surprises.
Free fitness sessions
Now, the day might be mostly about running, but for anyone who wants to get moving themselves, there will also be free yoga sessions by Jett’s Gyms directly on the Symphony Park grass, as well tasters of reformer pilates by local studio Restart, who also have a site over in Cheetham Hill.
And don’t worry, there’s stuff for the kids too with a ‘Mini Athletics’ programme, featuring a whole range of activities, from sprints and balance beams to hurdles, foam javelins and long jumps.
Food and drink
As for grabbing a much-needed beverage (here’s hoping it’s sunny but not too hot come crunch time), there’ll be refreshing post-race iced drinks, slushies and recovery shots at the official Rehydration Station hosted by Circle Square’s North Bar.
You’ll most likely get hungry whether you’re participating or not, so you’ll be glad to hear there’ll be not only more iced drinks and coffee from Federal but soft-serve ice cream from Hello Oriental and a summer spritz Manchester Gin outdoor bar as well – again, hosted by North Bar.
FREE things and discounts for Manchester Marathon runners
Now, onto the important stuff: the free stuff for those of you taking on the 2025 Manchester Marathon.
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A free post-run meal for all medal holders at KOTO inside North Bar
Free regular hot drink with any bagel purchased from Bagel Factory
Free coffee from Half Dozen Other for runners
Free ice cream, cold beer or a soft drink to marathon finishers from Hello Oriental
There are also is also a money-off brunch at Federal, a 20% discount on the entire Bird of Prey menu when you show your medal; £1.99 cheeseburgers from hit Oslo export Doug’s for all medal holders, as well as treatment vouchers for winners of games or activities from Forever 22.
If we were you – and at least two of us here in The Manc office will be on Sunday, 27 April – we’d plan to make the most of the S.W.A.G. and offers for the one day you can.
The whole event is completely free and open to the public, running (pun intended) from10am-5pm. See you there, trackstars!
Bolton’s bid for the Ryder Cup has received a big boost
Danny Jones
Bolton’s much-anticipated bid for the Ryder Cup has received an added boost of positivity and optimism, which could prove key in bringing the competition to the town.
It also starts with an improvement to local infrastructure, which it appears that the borough will benefit from, regardless of whether or not they win the bid.
Talk of Bolton throwing their hat in the ring to hopefully host the Ryder Cup first began rumbling around during the pandemic, before ramping up even further in 2023, and is now gathering a little more speed.
And a lot of it could come down to upgraded travel links in the form of an even longer-rumoured new road connecting the M61-M6 junctions, which would need to be completed in time for the tournament – along with a fresh big golf course, too.
A bid is being prepared for Bolton to host the Ryder Cup in 2035. Previously, there was an option to hold it in 2031. The golf course would be built on the Hulton Park estate near Westhoughton. This is what the ancient parkland looks like now ..https://t.co/Bie8ikyEkppic.twitter.com/Y3Dq8MFfLk
While the plans to transform the land around Hulton Park have been in the pipeline for some time, the case for creating easier routes between Bolton, Wigan and the surrounding area was pitched as far back as the post-WWII period.
As for the Ryder Cup itself, it hasn’t been hosted in England for decades; the last time an associated event was held was in 2002 at Warwickshire, and it goes without saying that it would be a huge win not just for Greater Manchester but the North in general.
In fact, the wider masterplan that makes up part of the bid doesn’t just include the new £70 million link road, but also feeds into GM’s overall Good Growth Fund, which looks set to almost double thanks to more investment in the National Wealth Fund.
Put simply, the sum of around £2bn set aside for grants and funding across the country – including Bolton’s 2035 Ryder Cup bid – could see huge revenues brought in.
Regarding Bolton, were they to clinch from competitors like the London Golf Club in Sevenoaks, over in Kent and Luton Hoo Hotel and Spa in Bedfordshire, it’s estimated that it could generate more than £1.2bn for the local economy.
Besides a new premium golfing venue, the M61-M6 link road and the recently announced Metrolink expansion into Bolton, the regional funding allocation already factors in various bits of future property development, including more housing and subsequent job creation.
Put simply, it could be transformational for Bolton and beyond. However, it still requires them to win the bid on the basis of the GMCA, Bolton Council, developers, and other partners delivering everything promised, not to mention on time for the biennial Ryder Cup slot up for grabs.
Despite initial rejection and still plenty of pushback, Peel Land are promising three things for the land: “Restoration. Sustainability. World-class golf.”
Mayor Andy Burnham has insisted it is an opportunity not only to improve life, leisure and business in the old Lancashire stronghold, but “as well as the new jobs and tourist spend the Ryder Cup would deliver, there’s also a chance to deliver a lasting legacy.”
What do you make of the grand vision thus far, and for Boltonians, is this something you’re fully behind? Speaking of big sporting events, another one is coming up in Manchester city centre this weekend.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures/CGIs (via Peel Land)
Sport
The 2026 World Breaking Finals of the UK B-Boy Championships are coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
It’s official: the UK B-Boy Championships are returning to Manchester this year for the 2026 World Breaking Finals, in what is a special anniversary for the annual tournament.
Celebrating three decades since the inaugural event this summer, the UK B-Boy Champs will once again remind fans why they still remain among the gold standard for competitive breakdancing.
With elite breakers and dance battlers from more than 20 different countries in attendance – and plenty of contestants from each, at that – it’s going to be a real global showcase of talent.
Returning to Manchester once again, we can’t wait to see breakdancing take over the Factory International concourse and wider campus.
Anyone in the world will know that the city also hosted another big European equivalent back in 2022 on behalf of the 2022 World DanceSport Federation, but the UK B-Boy Championships have a passionate following of their own.
This also happens to be the 30th anniversary of the event, so it’s a momentous occasion on many levels.
With live music from not only classic artists and legendary MCs, but artists for the future too, there’ll be plenty of tunes and impressive moves from start to finish.
Coming to Aviva Studios this summer, they’ve billed it quite short and sweet: “The sickest breakers on the planet will battle in a once-in-a-generation celebration of Hip-Hop culture.”
They’re promising “High-stakes rivalries. Gravity-defying moves”, and “Unforgettable performances”, adding, “This isn’t just another battle – this is the Champs legacy in motion.”
Credit: Supplied
The World Breaking Finals get underway in Manchester on 16 August at Aviva Studios, and it’s all set up to be arguably the biggest yet.
General admission went on sale this past Friday, 13 March, with adult tickets starting from only £20 and kids from just a tenner.
As we mentioned before, this isn’t the only big sporting date coming to Manchester this year, with the likes of the British basketball’s annual Cup Finals concluding at AO Arena and another big Super League set to for a grandstand finish at our other big indoor entertainment venue…
Danny Jones -
9th April 2025 
