1. Race Overview

The adidas Manchester Marathon returns on Sunday 18 April 2027. First held in 2012, it is now the UK’s second largest marathon: the 2026 edition welcomed more than 42,000 participants and an estimated 140,000 spectators, and the 2024 race recorded 21,887 finishers. The event starts beside Old Trafford in Trafford and, since 2025, finishes on Oxford Road outside the University of Manchester, replacing the previous finish near the cricket ground. A six-hour course time limit applies.

2. Entry and pricing

Entry is first come, first served with tiered pricing rather than a ballot. Places for 2027 were released from midday on Monday 20 April 2026 for Priority Access registrants and from midday on Tuesday 21 April 2026 to the public. More than 48,000 people entered, and general entry is now at capacity. Runners who missed out can register interest for updates on the official website, where returned places are occasionally resold.

3. Charity places

Charity entries remain the most reliable route into a sold-out race. Terms vary by charity: the MS Trust asks for a £40 registration fee and £500 minimum sponsorship, Muscular Dystrophy UK £50 plus £500, and Wooden Spoon £100 plus £500. The event’s official charities for 2026 were The Christie, Cancer Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society and the British Heart Foundation, alongside a wider group of associate charities listed on the event website.

4. The course

The route runs from Old Trafford through Stretford, Sale, Timperley and Altrincham before returning towards the city centre and the Oxford Road finish. With roughly 54–55 metres of total elevation, it is among the flattest marathon courses in the UK, which is why it attracts large numbers of runners targeting personal bests and good-for-age times. One historical note is worth knowing: the 2013, 2014 and 2015 editions were invalidated after the course was found to be 380 metres short, so times from those years do not stand as official marathon performances. The course has been properly measured and certified by UK Athletics in every edition since.

5. Course map and GPX

The official route map, including drinks stations and activity points, is published on the event website; at the time of writing it still shows the 2026 route, with the 2027 version to follow. No official GPX file is issued, but third-party mapping sites such as goandrace.com host a downloadable GPX of the 2026 course that can be loaded onto a Garmin or similar watch. Treat any 2026 file as indicative until the 2027 route is confirmed.

6. Expo and number collection

Manchester does not stage a conventional race expo. In 2026, UK-based entrants had their event pack, containing the race bib, posted to arrive by the Friday before the race, while overseas entrants and those who opted to collect picked packs up at the adidas store on Market Street in central Manchester on the Friday and Saturday of race weekend. No packs are issued on race day itself. Collection arrangements for 2027 have not yet been published; entrants should expect confirmation nearer the event.

7. Waves and start times

Runners are assigned colour-coded waves based on the predicted finish time given at registration, with the wave colour printed on the bib. Access to the start is via a Start Access Point on Chester Road. It is possible to drop back to a later wave on the day but not to move forward. In 2025 the elite race started at 09:00, with mass waves following over roughly two hours. Wave times for 2027 have not yet been announced.

8. Race-week preparation

The standard advice applies: nothing new on race day, carbohydrate loading in the final 48 hours, and kit checked well in advance. It is worth assembling a small race-week kit — blister plasters, anti-chafing balm, paracetamol and any regular medication — which can be ordered ahead of time from UK pharmacies rather than left to a last-minute search near the start. Runners travelling from outside the UK should also carry any prescription medicines in original packaging.

9. Runner tracking

The organisers operate free predictive tracking through the official website: supporters search by name or bib number and follow a runner’s progress along the course. There is no dedicated event app; the website tracker, combined with phone location-sharing, is the practical option for spectators planning to intercept a runner at several points.

10. Road closures and getting there

Extensive road closures apply across Trafford and south Manchester from early on race morning, with some city-centre closures around Oxford Road in place from the Saturday. Manchester City Council and Trafford Council publish full closure lists in the weeks before the race, and Transport for Greater Manchester posts live updates over the weekend. The organisers recommend Metrolink: Old Trafford and Trafford Bar stops are about ten minutes’ walk from the start, with Wharfside and Exchange Quay as alternatives. Runners arriving by rail can reach the tram network from Piccadilly, Victoria or, via St Peter’s Square, Oxford Road station. Spectators are asked not to travel to the start area, which is participants-only.

11. Where to watch

In 2026 the organisers highlighted the Supporter Send Off on Deansgate, around one mile in, plus community crowds through Stretford, Sale, Chorlton and Altrincham, and the finish straight on Oxford Road. Sale’s Northenden Road and the Waterside offer cafés and pubs between the outbound and return legs, making it a sensible base for seeing a runner twice. The tram network allows supporters to reach two or three viewing points across the morning.

12. Finish and bag collection

Runners using the bag drop leave a small bag at the start area near Old Trafford — in 2026 this was at the E2 car park — before entering the start pens; the organisers advise arriving around 45 minutes before your start access time. Bags are transported by lorry, sorted by wave colour, to the finish area for collection with proof of bib. After finishing on Oxford Road, runners exit through the finish area towards the event village, where reunion with supporters is easiest away from the immediate finish line.

13. Broadcast, results and recent winners

The race is not broadcast on national television, but the organisers streamed live elite coverage in 2026, with highlights on the event’s YouTube channel. Results appear on the official results page, powered by Sporthive, roughly 45 minutes after each runner finishes, and UK mobile numbers receive their time by text. Recent elite winners were:

1. 2024 — Adam Clarke, 2:16:29; Charlie Arnell, 2:37:14
2. 2025 — Josh Griffiths, 2:16:56; Tessa McCormick, 2:34:53
3. 2026 — Yohan Lidove, 2:15:19; Naomi Robinson, 2:36:56

The 2025 race also hosted the England Athletics English Championships.

14. Accommodation, the city and April weather

The organisers list official accommodation options on the event website. Practically, runners tend to stay either near the start — around Old Trafford and Salford Quays — or in the city centre near the Oxford Road finish, which offers the shortest post-race journey. Manchester’s attractions fill a race weekend comfortably: the Science and Industry Museum, the Whitworth gallery on Oxford Road itself, the National Football Museum and stadium tours at Old Trafford. April in Manchester typically brings daytime highs of 12–13°C, overnight lows around 5°C and rain on roughly half of days, so runners should plan for cool, changeable conditions and pack a disposable layer for the start.

Sources

1. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/all-elite-entries/
2. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/news/winners-2025/
3. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/news/your-2026-elite-winners-hall-lidove-robinson/
4. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2026-adidas-manchester-marathon/
5. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/pack-collection/
6. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/start-times/
7. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/route/route-map/
8. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/predictive-tracking/
9. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/event-info/results/
10. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/road-closure-info/
11. https://www.manchestermarathon.co.uk/2026-travel-advice/
12. https://www.manchester.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roadworks-and-closures/manchester-marathon-2026
13. https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/post/manchester-marathon-2026-guide-spectator-information-travel-advice-and-best-celebration-spots/
14. https://themanc.com/sport/manchester-marathon-event-guide-2026-waves-times-route-map-key-info/
15. https://www.goandrace.com/en/map/2026/adidas-manchester-marathon-2026-course-map-1.php
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Marathon
17. https://www.weather2travel.com/england/manchester/april/

Last Updated on 27 August 2026 by the5krunner