Route Map - Manchester Half Marathon

Below you can see this year's Manchester Half route overview. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing the exciting entertainment you can expect along the route. This year, get ready for even more cheer stations, epic live music, and electrifying DJ sets, all fueled by the unmatched energy of tens of thousands of supporters lining the course (imagine loud, then double it).

The Event Village is at the Lancashire County Cricket Club - from here you will be directed to the start.

Event village and bag drop maps can be found here.

Water and Applied Nutrition Gels

There will be 4 water stations conveniently located along the course to keep you refreshed. Water will be provided in 330ml bottles, please make sure to aim for the bins when you discard the bottles.

The Isotonic Energy Gels from Applied Nutrition will only be available at Drink Stations 2 and 4 so please plan ahead and remember to bring additional hydration and nutrition based on your individual needs. Gels on course will be supplement to your own. Applied Nutrition recommends to consume 1 – 3 gels per 60 minutes during exercise.

Find out more about the gels that will be provided here.

Road Surfaces

Whilst the route is generally flat enabling many people to achieve PBs, it is important to note that the road surface on any road, by its very nature, is not completely even.

We work closely with the council to communicate to them about the road surfaces before the event however not all areas can be fixed, and so there will/may still be:

Potholes
Uneven surfaces
Speed bumps
Traffic islands and other structures
Cycle lane bollards

(Due to the Greater Manchester walking and cycling network initiative, there are more and more cycle lane bollards being installed along the main roadway network, therefore please keep an eye out for these when running on the roads).

Please stay aware and watch where you’re going at all times.

Route Cut Off Time

As with all major running events, there is a cut off time for the Manchester Half.

The Finish Line will close 3 hours after the last participant has crossed the start line; this equates to a pace of approximately a 13.5 minute mile or an 8.5 minute kilometre.

The roads along the course are re-opened in staggered zones and so you will need to achieve the minimum pace throughout.

There will also be a sweep coach at the back of the pack which will progress around the course at the minimum speed. If you fall behind this speed then you will get overtaken by the coach and encouraged to get on it.

Should you choose not to then you will be asked to move onto the pavement so our team can safely clean the roads, remove all the infrastructure, and facilitate the re-opening of the roads on time for businesses and residents.

Please be aware that should you continue on the pavements however event signage, directional aids, drink stations, and medical stations etc will be removed as we will start to return roads and pavements to their original state. Should you carry on you will be doing so full in the knowledge of this.