This Sunday, thousands of runners will descend on Manchester to take part in the Manchester Marathon. Having moved to October for its 2021 edition, this year’s race returns to its usual slot of Sunday April 3, and marks the second largest marathon event in the UK and the fourth largest in Europe.
The running event will also host the England Commonwealth Games Qualifiers. Some of the county’s best endurance runners will take the famous 26.2 mile course through Greater Manchester to compete for a spot on the England team for Birmingham 2022.
With a rich history dating back as far as 1908, the annual event has become a destination for keen runners from all over the country who are looking to nail a personal best. Here's everything you need to know about the 2022 Manchester Marathon.
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When is the Manchester Marathon?
The Manchester Marathon takes place this Sunday, April 3. Entrants will run 26.2 miles through the city centre as well as Trafford, Altrincham and Chorlton-Cum-Hardy.
The event raises millions of pounds for charity, including the British Heart Foundation, The Christie and Cancer Research UK. Last year, the event raised £7.4 million and saw around 40,000 runners come together to run for a variety of good causes.
Start Times
The first wave for Wheelchair elites is 9am and the last runner wave is at 10.55am. Runners can also work out their start time by looking at the wave in the bottom left corner of their bib and checking the image above.
If you are running the race and have not received a race bib, you will need to collect a replacement at the Manchester Marathon’s pack collection service. You can then choose which wave you want to start in.
Manchester Marathon route
2021 saw the introduction of a new section of the route, taking in city landmarks including the Manchester Opera House, Spinningfields, Albert Memorial Hall and The Midland Hotel. The city centre section has been slightly reduced for 2022 due to extensive roadworks taking place.
The Starting line is under the arch at White City Way on the A56. From here, runners will then turn off and make their way past Old Trafford as they head up towards Upper Chorlton Road. They will then make their way towards the city centre via Chorlton Road passing Hulme.
Once runners reach the city centre, they will loop back towards Stretford on Bridgewater Way, leading onto Chester Road and then Cross Street. After going past Sale, runners will head towards Manchester Road before turning off towards Timperley via Park Road.
Once they’ve hit the Altrincham at around the 16-mile mark they will start to make their way to the finish line through Brooklands and Marsland Road. At Chorlton-Cum Hardy on Edge Lane, they will be near the finish line on Talbot Road through Seymour Grove.
Manchester Marathon 2022 road closures
Due to the size of the event, many roads across the city will be closed to allow the runners to safely move through. The route and associated road closure times have been reviewed and evaluated in consultation with Greater Manchester Police, TfGM, and Trafford and Manchester City Councils in order to safely accommodate the event.
Commuters should expect bus diversions as a result of the closures while those travelling with their own vehicles should expect roads to be extremely busy while the closures remain in effect. Organisers recommend using Metrolink travel to and from the race as there are several stops close to the athletes village, start line and finish line in Trafford.
Here’s a breakdown of the road and street closures taking place ahead of the Manchester Marathon 2022:
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Trafford Wharf Rd - 7.30am to 2pm
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Chester Rd - 7am to 2pm
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Wharfside Way - 3am to 3pm
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Chorlton Rd and Upper Chorlton Rd - 7.30am to 1pm
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Seymmour Grove - 6am to 7pm
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Talbot Rd - 3am to 7pm
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A56 Bridgewater Way - 4am to 7.30am (closed westbound), 7.30am to 3pm (fully closes)
For a full list of road and street closures for the Manchester Marathon 2022, you can use the interactive map here.
Where to park
Public transport is recommended but if driving is your only option, Manchester United Football Club currently have a limited number of car parking places available to pre-book at a cost of £12. These spaces must be secured in advance and will not be available to pay for on the day.
Park and Ride Metrolink is recommended as an easy solution to travel to the event. This is a free service and more information can be found here.
Where to watch
For those wanting to support friends and family running in the race, a number of vantage points are dotted across the route as well as dedicated stations to give runners that extra boost of support. Hosted by Manchester Marathon’s very own MC, The Therme Motivation Station in the city centre, close to mile five, will be accompanied by live music and a lively atmosphere.
Viewers can also follow the race on the Therme Manchester Marathon website and social media feeds, with the British Athletics website also supporting the live feed and providing updates via Twitter on race day.
Where to stay
There are a variety of places to stay in Manchester, however to guarantee the best location and prices for those looking to be near the event village, The Manchester Marathon has partnered with a selection of local hotels, details of which can be found here. For some further inspiration and last-minute deals, take a look at our coverage of Manchester's best places to stay here.
Where to track runners
According to organisers, one of the most common questions is people wanting to know where their friend, family member or colleague is up to on the course, which is why Manchester Marathon’s website has upgraded a website feature to track each runner’s progress around the course. Timing mats situated in seven locations will be triggered when run over, allowing you to see when runners have reached this point.
Using their speed so far, the website will also predict their progress for the rest of the route, giving you a spectators a reasonable estimate of when they will reach the finish line.
Finishing times
Individual runner finish times will appear on the website soon after they complete the course. You’ll need the bib number or name of the person you are following to check this.
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