Manchester Half Marathon 2024 route, road closures, start times and everything else you need to know

The Manchester Half Marathon is back this weekend with thousands of runners set to take to take to the streets. On Sunday, October 13, an estimated 24,000 runners will put their best foot forward and take on the 13.1 mile route.

In 2022, the course was changed to allow the route to cover more areas of Manchester than ever before. The route takes runners into the city centre but it always starts and finishes near Old Trafford.

The Half Marathon, which was launched in 2016, has received rave reviews from participants over the years thanks to its electric atmosphere, accessible flat route and unrivalled support from crowds along the length of the course.

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The event is estimated to raise over £950,000 for hundreds of local and national charities. In total 1,620 participants will be taking part for an associated charity, 710 of which are participating for one of the Official Charity Partners: Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK and The Christie.

Below, you'll find all the key information, from collecting your runners pack and start times, to the latest travel updates and the route that this year's race will take.

When is the Manchester Half Marathon 2024?

The Manchester Half is a 13.1 mile challenge that takes place every October, starting and finishing by Old Trafford. This year, it takes place on Sunday, 13 October.

How do I collect my runners pack?

If you live in the UK, your pack will be posted and should arrive by Friday, 11 October. If your pack does not arrive or you live outside of the UK, there is a pack collection service on Saturday, 12 October at the Holiday Inn, Manchester City Centre between 10am and 6pm.

The location for pack collection is 25 Aytoun Street, Manchester, M1 3DT.

If you cannot make it to the collection point on Saturday, you can allocate a friend or family member to collect the pack on your behalf (they will need to bring a signed note from yourself). You will not be able to collect your pack on event day.

How do I get to the event?

There are a number of travel options for Sunday but official advice is to check the Transport for Greater Manchester website and their social media pages for the latest updates.

Metrolink:

Services operate on the line from 7am on the Sunday morning. Closer to the event organisers will provide the timings of the first tram for each line. Below are the recommend tram stops to get to the Start Area, and to depart from the finish area.

Close Tram Stops: Quieter

If you want to incorporate a gentle 12-15 min warm up walk past Old Trafford ground on your way to the Start Access area on Talbot Road and avoid the busy congestion of the other tram stops, the below stops are best placed.

• Imperial War Museum on the Trafford Centre (red) line – 15 min walk

Closest Tram Stops: Highly Congested

• Old Trafford, located on the Altrincham (purple/green) line – 3 minute walk
• Trafford Baron the Altrincham (purple/green) line – 10 minute walk

Although no tram stops will be closed for the event, participants are advised not to travel to Pomona as the Start Area is not easily accessible from there.

Train:

It is recommend to travel to Piccadilly or Victoria station if you are arriving on the morning of. From here you can then connect with Metrolink trams to take you to the start line.

If you’re arriving at Oxford Road train station, you will need to make the short walk to St Peter’s Square tram stop, where you can also get a tram.

Car:

The race route requires a significant number of road closures across the Sunday, so organisers have strongly advised against driving as there will be a lot of congestion.

For those who do plan on driving, there is no official parking but Manchester United Football Club has several prepaid parking spaces available for £15 when booked in advance.

Further information and parking recommendations can be found here.

Park & Ride:

• East Didsbury – 302 spaces.
• Brooklands – 108 spaces.
• Navigation Road – 81 spaces.
• Sale Water Park – 300 spaces.
• Ladywell – 250 spaces.
• Parkway – 360 spaces.

Disabled Parking:

There are a limited amount of disabled parking for participants that require it. It must be booked in advance, and the deadline was October 4.

Where is the start?

To access the start on event day, participants should head to the Event Village at Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Here there is a bag drop station, toilets and marshals who will direct participants to the start line at the Trafford Arch.

What are the start times?

Below you will find the Start Times for the 2024 event. The colour of the running bib you receive in either the post or at pack collection will relate to your allocated start time.

On the day, the elite wheelchair participants will set off first at 8:55 am, followed by the elite wave at 9am. Following this, participants will set off in roughly 10-minute intervals, depending on their allocated wave colour, until 10:39 am.

What is the route?

The route changes made in 2022 allowed the route to cover more areas of Manchester. The start and finish area as in previous years will be near Old Trafford, and this year, once again, the Manchester Half will cruise into the city centre.

The route begins by heading up towards Deansgate, then turning and passing by Castlefield and along to Bridgewater Way. The run continues onto Chester Road for three miles, before leading onto Cross Street.

Runners will then turn a corner as they approach Sale, going along Broad Road and round, before continuing straight on for two miles. The course then turns right onto Edge Lane, passing Turn Moss Playing Fields, before heading back towards Old Trafford and finishing up on Talbot Road.

There will be four water stations located approximately every three miles along the course. Isotonic Energy Gels from Applied Nutrition will also be available at the second and fourth water stations.

Toilets are located at each water station as well as at the Event Village and at the start of the race.

Are there any road closures?

Road closures will be in effect along and immediately around the half marathon route starting from Saturday, 12 October.

Many bus services will also be diverted due to these closures.

The A56 (North and Southbound) and the M60 Junction 7 will be closed until late afternoon, full details on road closures can be found here.

Event road closure detail can also be found here.

Where can I watch?

With two new exciting cheer zones, spectators are advised to encourage loved ones on from along the course rather than at the start and the finish area where access is limited.

The first of the new areas is a PUMA Cheer Zone at Deansgate Interchange, where spectators can soak up the atmosphere at the mile 1 mark.

The second new cheer zone is the ‘Buzz Hub’ at Wharfside. Here, participants can be spotted twice on their journey past Old Trafford stadium, before they start heading out towards Stretford.

Other prime viewing spots include Stretford, Sale and Chorlton Cum Hardy just one mile before the finish. To see participants cross the finish line, head inside the Event Village at Lancashire County Cricket Club, where a large screen will show the finish line coverage live, along with food outlets and activities.

How do I find out about finishing times?

Your finish time for the 2024 Manchester Marathon will be automatically updated on the results page. It is best to allow 45 minutes after finishing for your result to appear on the page.

All participants who entered a UK mobile number will also receive their result via text message as soon as they finish. Any questions or queries regarding race times, contact the timing team at humanrace@raceahead.net