Everything happening at the Great Manchester Run 2021
Famous for its city centre route and atmosphere, the 2021 Great Manchester Run is set to feature live music, entertainment zones that celebrate local character and culture, and a boisterous crowd roaring on the participants.
The Great Manchester Run – the North-West’s flagship sporting event – is officially returning after a 16-month absence. And organisers are promising a “special day” to mark the occasion.
September’s Run is the first since 2019 – with thousands of people preparing to hit the tarmac for 10ks and half marathons.
Famous for its central route weaving around the city’s iconic landmarks, the 2021 Great Manchester Run will feature live music, entertainment zones that celebrate local character and culture, and a boisterous crowd roaring on the participants.
All the action will be televised live on BBC – with runners receiving a t-shirt, shiny new medal, and finisher’s bag filled with goodies.
Event organisers said: “Whether you do it for the challenge, to fundraise for charity, or simply for fun, take your place on the start line and be part of something really special.”
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As well as the main event, here’s what else is happening on the 26 September 2021:
The Great Manchester Run 2021 is being billed as a “special occasion” / Image: GMR
Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run
The Junior & Mini event gives runners aged 3+ the opportunity to enjoy the big event experience at the Great Manchester Run, with music and a cheering crowd all the way around.
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Entries to the Junior (2.5k) and Mini (1.5k) Great Manchester Run are now open.
High-tempo music and charity cheering points are set to be part of the occasion for the 2021 Great Run – re-energising runners at each kilometre of the course.
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Also back by popular demand for 2021 is the Hacienda Zone – featuring a massive sound system, disco lights and bubble machine to give runners a final boost to the finish line.
Thousands will take part in the Run this year / Image: GMR
Business Challenge
The Business Challenge encourages local businesses to compete against each other at the Run to be crowned “champions”.
If you and a group of colleagues want to take on a running event together, for charity, a fitness goal or perhaps just have fun as a team, you can enter the ENGIE Business Challenge here.
The countdown to the Great Manchester Run is on – take your place on the start line and be part of the action, because this year it’s all about the comeback!
For more information about entering, head on over to the official website.
What's On
A literacy charity is making its way to Manchester bringing lots of FREE books
Thomas Melia
A charity dedicated to literacy is coming to Manchester in May providing families and individuals with plenty of free books.
Led by Bookbanks, this London-founded organisation was set up in line with food banks to provide people with access to free books and now they’re coming all the way to Manchester.
This charity started in 2022 all thanks to writer and journalist Emily Rhodes, who has read her fair share of books and wants to give this privilege to anyone who might not be able to get their hands on any.
The charity has seen widespread positive reception quickly expanding into Norfolk and is now partnering with various food banks in Manchester, marking the organisation’s first Northern venture.
Bookbanks gives out an average of 30 books per week, per site and has distributed over 5,000 books so far at food banks.
Crates being organised in Manchester food bank.Credit: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)
Titled Bookbanks after the fact that they work very closely with food banks to provide books far and wide to food banks across the UK, they also host a range of interactive events.
Alongside all the fantastic work the team do, there’s a handful of free workshops and author events on offer for all ages and backgrounds, to further build the connection between people and their books.
Currently, there are two famous figures backing this book-based charity, Elizabeth Day and Andrew O’Hagan, both of which are no stranger to a pen and paper.
Day is an award-winning author who has written nine fiction and non-fiction books to date, while O’Hagan is Booker Prize nominated and is London Review of Books’ Editor-at-Large.
Bookbanks relies on the general public to spread their message further and there’s even a section on their website detailing how you can get involved to continue distributing books within food banks.
One of Bookbank’s many free author events, some of which will hopefully take place in Manchester.Credit: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)
Whether you’re an avid runner or keen to try something new why not raise money for and be sponsored by Bookbanks, knowing you’ve done your bit to bring books to those who need them most.
If you don’t fancy lacing up those trainers and heading out for a run, why not donate any old books you’ve finished reading to this book-focused charity and allow others to discover a whole new world of reading.
Bookbanks first official Manchester site will launch on Friday 2 May at Manchester Central Food bank and a second site is already in talks at Greater Together Manchester’s Social Supermarket in Miles Platting.
To find out more ways to get involved as a company, publisher, member of public and more, you can find all information on their official site HERE.
Featured Image: Publicity Picture via Annabelle Williams
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 28 April – 4 May 2025
Daisy Jackson
Manchester is set for a week of utterly glorious sunshine as we head into May, so most of us will be wanting to escape our houses and get out and about over the coming week.
As always, there’s plenty happening around town to keep you busy, from family-friendly museum events to full-blown 10-hour-long raves.
This week will also see the return of the much-loved Sounds From The Other City festival in Salford, and more dates for two huge musicals that are in town.
There are some very fancy new openings to check out with your spare time too.
Have a look at our guide to the best things to do in Manchester this week below.
Sensory-friendly day at Museum of Illusions
58-66 Market Street, M1 1PW
Tuesday 29 April
There are loads of interactive exhibitions. Credit: The Manc Group
The mind-bending new attraction to Manchester, the Museum of Illusions, is going to be holding a full day sensory-friendly session this week dedicated to neurodivergent guests.
This will involve dimmed lights, lower sound levels and even complimentary sensory kits which include ear defenders and fidget toys.
There are more than 50 interactive exhibits to explore, from gravity-defying rooms to optical illusions, and with this new event to mark World Autism Month it’s become accessible to more people than ever.
Sounds From The Other City
Across Salford
Sunday 4 May
Always a highlight of Greater Manchester’s music calendar, Sounds From The Other City is a multi-venue festival that’s celebrating its 20th edition this year.
The festival lineup once again champions the best emerging artists and genres from across the UK, features Du Blonde, Gwenno, Grove, Astrid Sonne, Big Joanie, The Orielles, Tristwch Y Fenywod, and over 100 more acts.
As the grassroots music sector faces increasing challenges, SFTOC stands as one of the UK’s longest running independent festivals.
Ready to try something new this weekend? Whether it’s space travel, flying on a magic carpet or joining Alice in Wonderland, there’s a new VR experience at Trafford Palazzo bringing you whole new worlds through the power of XR – ‘extended reality’.
Immersia XR has brought walking theatre to life, an interactive experience that lets you step beyond reality.
And when you’re done, you can grab a milkshake, iced tea or matcha from the lovely @ai.tea.drinks and join the Mad Hatter’s tea party.
The brilliant Red Light cocktail bar, tucked down the cobbled streets of Kampus in the city centre, is bringing back its legendary quiz night this week.
The Quizzer Sisters brings a nice dose of midweek mayhem to town, with hosts Shanika Sunrise & Caoilí Crothers.
Entry is just £2 and classic cocktails are being served up for just £7 – and there’s a £50 bar tab for the winners.
Opening to the public this week for the first time is The Cut & Craft, a lavish new steak and seafood restaurant.
Here you’ll find seriously grand interiors including chandeliers and a ‘gossip room’, and a wine and champagne list as long as your arm.
There’s also a bottomless champagne brunch taking place over the upcoming bank holiday weekend – you can book your spot HERE.
Torvill & Dean
AO Arena
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2-4 May
Torvill & Dean have announced a show in Manchester on their farewell tour
The legendary Torvill & Dean will be skating into Manchester on their final-ever tour this year, performing at the AO Arena as part of their ‘Torvill & Dean: Our Last Dance’ farewell tour – a poignant moment, as the duo were the arena’s first ever show back in 1995.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are record-breaking figure skaters, perhaps best-known for their gold medal winning performance at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics 1984.
Although the pair will continue to work together off the ice – they are the head judges on ITV’s Dancing on Ice – their 2025 tour marks the end of their 50-year skating partnership.
An event that will whisk you back to the glory days of the Madchester era is happening this weekend, bringing all the rave atmosphere of the 90s to 2025.
This event is going big or going home with a runtime of 10 hours, with four different ‘arenas’ at this rave all catering to different soundscapes of the 90s rave scene, from hardcore to classic DnB.
A Knight’s Tale has been turned into a comedy musical.
A Knight’s Tale may be one of Chaucer’s most well-known Canterbury Tales, but for most of us, we tend to be more familiar with Brian Helgeland’s iconic 2001 medieval action comedy film of the same name instead, which of course starred the late great Heath Ledger, alongside Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Mark Addy, and more.
And its the latter that has now been reimagined for the modern day and turned into a brand-new comedy stage musical that’s charging into Manchester this month.
Mary Poppins / Credit: ATG Tickets | Daniel Boud (via Unsplash)
Mary Poppins is now back on stage in Manchester as part of its UK tour.
Two decades after the world premiere in Bristol, and subsequent record-breaking run of productions around the world ever since, one of the best-loved musicals of all time has flown back into our city and landed on the iconic Palace Theatre stage.
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Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film, the story of the world’s favourite nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane is even more magical than ever before, featuring dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs.
Australian stars, Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers, are both reprising their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group
You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.
Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
The Manc -
20th August 2021 
