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!
Manchester Storm’s ‘own and loan’ scheme returns for 2026/27
Danny Jones
Manchester Storm have relaunched their much-loved ‘own and loan’ programme once again ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Having gone from a cult favourite option for die-hards to an increasingly popular choice among their growing number of supporters, it’s a great way for fans to get their hands on what could go on to be priceless collectables.
Set up over a decade and a half ago, the initiative has gone on to be replicated by multiple clubs in the Elite Ice Hockey League, across the country, and indeed beyond.
For anyone unclear on what exactly this scheme means for them, here’s all you need to know.
The own and loan sponsorship is essentially an opportunity not only to support the club and your favourite player, but to essentially reserve a valuable piece of match-worn memorabilia.
Put simply, fans can buy a squad member’s jersey and then loan it back to them for the season.
The shirt – be it home, away, created for cup tournaments or a special limited-edition sweater (of which MCR Storm have designed many over the years) – will then be worn throughout the course of the campaign before being given back to the owner, i.e. you.
Not just simply buying the shirt, but helping back the team’s talent, it’s one of the most direct ways people can contribute to the club.
The Greater Manchester side pioneered the push for this initiative here in the UK in the early 2010s, and with the local side now set to return to the AO Arena, where their journey began way back in 1995, you can expect plenty to mark the comeback with a special sponsored jersey.
Anyone who purchases an away strip will have their name featured throughout home games for the duration of the season – not a bad gift or way to secure a potential future collectors’ item.
You can see every player available to sponsor and find out all the information you need right HERE.
For regular matchgoers at the ‘Storm Shelter’, we’re sure it’ll be bittersweet to say goodbye to Planet Ice Altrincham, but just how excited are you about heading home to the AO Arena later this year?
Featured Images — Manchester Storm (publicity picture)/The Manc Group
Sport
League One set for an all-Greater Manchester playoff final as Bolton book trip to Wembley
Danny Jones
It’s official: we’re all set for a fully Greater Manchester League One playoff final as Bolton Wanderers are the latest to secure a return to Wembley against Stockport County.
The resurgent old Lancashire club clinched their spot in the knockout conclusion of the third division with a single strike in the second leg of the semis, and it wasn’t a bad finish, either.
Beating Bradford City 2-0 on aggregate, Bolton will now play familiar regional rivals Stockport, with Wanderers set to clash with County in a decisive derby once again.
Bolton‘s instinctive volley from Chelsea youth product and former Hull City man, Xavier Simons, resulted in some very satisfying limbs at Valley Parade.
The home fans did have plenty to cheer on the night, with efforts from Metcalfe, Power and Wright all either hitting the woodwork or being deflected just past it.
They thought they were level in the tie at one point after Kayden Jackson put the ball in the back of the net, but it was ultimately ruled out.
Agonising stuff for the Bradford supporters to burst into bedlam before the flag was raised for offside.
Many supporters will argue that the key moment came somewhat against the run of play, but The Trotters won’t care one bit as they book another trip down to the capital.
You can watch the rest of the highlights, including those scenes in the away end, down below.
Speaking even before the game, head coach Steven Schumacher told Sky Sports: “It’s a club we believe is bigger than this division, but this division is not easy to get out of.
“The expectation and the demand to get to the Championship is there, and once you’re in the building and you feel the mood when you win games, when you lose games, you can sense that this is a club that is desperate to get out and get to the next level.
“When you look at the size of both Bolton and Bradford and how well they are supported, both clubs are probably too big to be in League One. But that’s where both clubs find themselves, and one of us has got to find our way out of it if we can.”
You’d dare say he can practically smell promotion via the playoffs now; the local side has come quite a way since the lows of administration in 2019 and the bottom tier of the EFL – not without some heartbreaks in previous playoff finals – but could he be the one to get them back where they belong?
In case you missed the action from the other game, you can see more HERE, and to hear Schumacher’s thoughts after the decisive result, look no further…
Danny Jones -
9th April 2025 
