Sport

An all-day fan zone is being set up for the 2025 Manchester Marathon with freebies for runners

There's tonnes of free stuff for medal holders to pick up as well.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 9th April 2025

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.

In fact, given that it’s coinciding with another rather large event down in the capital, this year’s race is tipped to UK running history.

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.

circle square manchester marathon fan zone 2025
manchester marathon fan park
Credit: Vita Group (supplied)

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.

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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. 

Don’t mind if we do.

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) from 10am-5pm. See you there, trackstars!

circle square manchester
symphony park manchester
Credit: Supplied

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Featured Images — Supplied

Sport

25,000 free footballs are being given away across the UK

Danny Jones Danny Jones Barlcays bank giving 1000 free football across the UK

A total of 25,000 free footballs are up for grabs this month as part of a new scheme from Barclays, who are giving them away to mark a special anniversary.

The British multinational universal bank, which boasts over 850 branches and more than 48 million customers worldwide, has been supporting the beautiful game for a quarter of a century now and has been the primary Premier League sponsor since the 2001/02 season.

Approaching 25 years helping fund and promote English football, they’ve come up with a new initiative to celebrate, simply called the ‘Lost Ball Project‘.

We’ve all seen scenes like these before.

barclays free footballs
lost ball project
Credit: Barclays (supplied)

Tapping into the national and generational memory of losing a ball to a pond, up a tree, over a fence or on a roof and so on, Barclays are making up for those heartbreaking little losses – one ball at a time.

Lost Ball will see the bank give away 25k footballs across the UK, with Barclays customers able to claim a free ball for themselves or someone else who has lost theirs.

Already up and running, the scheme is off to a flyer and free footies will be available until Thursday, 22 May, so we wouldn’t wait around.

The bank has played an integral role throughout the British football pyramid for decades now, sponsoring to only the Premier League but also the WSL, Barclays Women’s Championship; the Northern Irish Women’s Football Association, Scottish Women’s Championship and the Scottish Women’s League One

They’ve even put together this emotive, albeit a bit tongue-in-cheek video:

Excellent song choice.

As they put it, the mission of the Lost Ball Project is simple: “Let’s keep the nation playing the beautiful game. Because there’s no football without grassroots football.”

In addition to backing established leagues, they have continued to support the country’s footballing community at large, especially in terms of the women’s game.

For instance, the Barclays Girls’ Football School partnership with The FA has seen the number of participating schools rise from 3,000 in 2019 to 20,000 in 2024, helping more than 2.5 million schoolgirls access football.

Important work done from the ground up.

Credit: Supplied

Barclays’ Group Head of Sponsorship, Tom Corbett, said in a statement: “We are immensely proud of our pioneering work and funding to grassroots football over the past 25 years.

Giving away 25,000 balls to replace our customers’ ‘Lost Balls’ means they will never be without the one thing you need to be able to play the game we’ve supported at Barclays for all these years.”

If you bank with the group, you can find out how to claim your free football HERE.

We quite fancy a kick around now.

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Featured Images — Barclays (supplied)

Sport

Andy Burnham set to join legendary Manc DJ and ex-England internationals in a charity football match

Danny Jones Danny Jones Andy Burnham charity football match

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is set to take on a legendary Manchester DJ as well as multiple former footballers in a charity football match, including multiple ex-England internationals.

Now eight years into representing the ten boroughs, Burnham’s latest charitable effort comes on behalf of iconic Manc venue and community cornerstone, Salford Lads and Girls Club (SLGC), which has sprouted some of the region’s most important musical and sporting talents.

Set to face the one and only Mike Sweeney – a veteran BBC broadcaster and legendary Salfordian radio DJ – as well as a number of retired pros, in hopes of raising money for SLGC, the charity game is taking place very soon.

And by soon, we mean this month. You can hear all about it from the man himself:

As explained by Sweeney, now 77, the meeting between his all-stars and Burnham’s boys is scheduled to take place on 11 May, with a 2pm kick-off.

The Premier League’s already wrapped up, this is the real ‘Super Sunday’.

Enlisting the help of Manchester United legend, not to mention Treble and Champions League winner, Paul Scholes, there is some serious talent on show.

Mayor Burnham, on the other hand, has managed to sign Bolton Wanderers legend, as well as former Manchester City player-manager and England international, Peter Reid, who is still raring and ready to lace up his boots at the age of 68.

Sweeney is actually an England player himself, in case you didn’t know, currently representing the over-75s national team. A man of many talents.

As for who else, the complete squads are yet to be fully confirmed, but the starting XIs will be made up of other members from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and more hand-picked by the local legend.

afc monton manchester
new alder park
AFC Monton’s home ground (Credit: Gibbo’s 92)

The match is set to take place at AFC Monton’s New Alder Park (just off Worsley Road, M30 8JN) and, best of all, entry to the ground will be completely FREE, with those attending encouraged to donate as much as they like to Salford Lads and Girls Club on the door.

Speaking ahead of the game, Sweeney said: “Salford Lads and Girls Club is incredibly close to my heart and I can’t think of a better cause to put this game to.

“It will be a welcome change switching the battle of the studio to the football pitch where I can flex my international credentials, while raising as much money as we can for this amazing club.”

As for the Mayor, he wrote in a statement following the announcement: “SLGC is an iconic institution which has provided a lifeline to many of the most vulnerable in our communities. When we were told the club was in real jeopardy last year, we knew we had to do all we could to help.

“It was fantastic to see all the money raised in such a short space of time to save the club, but we want to go further to make sure the club is safe and invested in for the future. This is why the legacy fund is so important.”

“We’re incredibly grateful to Andy Burnham, Mike Sweeney, and every player stepping up to take part in this special match.

Salford Lads’ and Girls’ Club is SAVED after Greater Manchester rallies behind local institution
The charity match set up by Mike Sweeney and Andy Burnham follows a huge surge of support for the venue late last year.

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Laura Slingsby, CEO of Salford Lads and Girls Club, signed off by adding: “We’re incredibly grateful to Andy Burnham, Mike Sweeney, and every player stepping up to take part in this special match.

“Events like this help us raise funds and shine a light on the life-changing support Salford Lads and Girls Club continues to offer young people across Salford.

“This is more than just a game. It’s a celebration of community, heritage, and hope for the future. We can’t wait to see everyone pitchside cheering them on!”

Who are you cheering on, ‘Sporting Sweeney’ or ‘Burnham FC’? Doesn’t matter either way – a beloved community cornerstone is the real winner either way.

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Featured Images — GMCA

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