The Great Manchester run is formed of a 10k and half-marathon event. This year there is over 35,000 people who will be running and over 100,000 spectators! Here’s how to make the most of the day straight from the team at The Great Manchester Run:

SATURDAY 17 MAY - AJ BELL JUNIOR AND MINI GREAT MANCHESTER RUN (FROM 10:00)

Runners taking part in the Great Manchester Run | The Great Run Company

placeholder image — Runners taking part in the Great Manchester Run | The Great Run Company

It’s SUPER Saturday at the AJ Bell Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run as younger runners (aged 3-8) take on a 1.6km dash, and junior runners (age 9-15) take on a 2.5km supercharged challenge.

Come along and experience this fun running party at the Etihad Campus. Stars of the UK hit show Gladiators Tom Wilson (AKA Hammer) and Lystus Ebosele (AKA Cyclone), will be joining the fun as the official race starters. They will ring the bell to set over 1500 young runners on their way, before greeting fans at the finish line for high fives and photos.

SUNDAY 18 MAY - AJ BELL GREAT MANCHESTER RUN (FROM 08:10)

The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run needs no introduction, it’s a party from start to finish, with a high-energy soundtrack, live music and entertainment zones at every turn. This year is the biggest in a decade with over 35,000 runners lining up at the start line, and many raising millions for charity.

Make sure to turn on the TV if you can’t make it in person as The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run will be broadcast live on BBC Two from 11am – 1pm.

OFFICIAL RACE STARTERS

Double Olympic Champion and TV personality Dame Kelly Holmes will be starting the Elite Wheelchair and Half marathon races before taking on the half course herself.

Great Run Ambassador and Commonwealth Games 10,000M champion Eilish McColgan will then start the Elite women’s race.

Manchester born and raised, Paris 2024 Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson will start the Elite Men and masses, the biggest start of the day.

THE ROUTE

Both the 12 and 10k start on Portland Street near Oxford Street and finishes on Deansgate. The 10k route heads southwest, past Old Trafford and Salford Quays, and then returns to Deansgate. The half-marathon route includes a 7-mile detour, heading east to the Etihad Stadium and then rejoining the 10k route for the final stretch.

ELITE RUNNERS TO LOOK OUT FOR

It’s set to be an exciting elite field with both 2024 Men’s and Women’s Champions returning to defend their titles.

Men’s Elites

Returning champion Vincent Ngetich (Kenya) set a P.B of 27.25 last year, narrowly missing the Course Record by just 1 second.
Selemon Barega (Ethiopia) the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 10000m Gold Medalist and 2022 World Indoor Champion
Deresa Geleta (Ethiopia) makes his debut, he finished second in February’s Tokyo Marathon.

Women’s Elites

Gotytom Gebreslase (Ethiopia) also returns to defend her title after setting a P.B here in 2024 with a time of 30.32.
Hellen Obiri (Kenya) the 2024 Olympic Marathon Bronze Medalist and three time Great Manchester Run champion.
Medina Eisa (Ethiopia), who holds the fastest time in world this year posting 29:25 in Castellón, Spain, will be one athletes will be watching closely too.
Also racing is 2024 runner up Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya) alongside another former champion Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya).
Leading the British challenge will be Verity Ockenden who is coming off an impressive PB of 31.35 and Alex Bell, who finished 7th at the 2020 Olympics over 800m.

Wheelchair

Defending champion JohnBoy Smith
2023 winner Sean Frame.
Olympian David Weir CBE who is looking to secure his sixth Great Manchester Run win
2024 Great North Run Champion, Jade Hall who is looking to repeat her Great Manchester Run success of 2023.

FAMOUS FACES TO LOOK OUT FOR ON THE COURSE

Dame Kelly Holmes will be running the half.
Music and Manchester legend Peter Hook.
Actress and Presenter Gemma Atkinson joined by her partner Strictly’s Gorka Marquez.
Strictly stars Jowita Przystal and Carlos Gu.
Corrie actors Harriet Bibby, Elle Mulvaney and newcomer Jason Callender.
Emmerdale cast members Isabel Hodgins, and Danny Miller.
BBC Traitor (S3) Minah Shannon, joined by Faithfuls Kasim Ahmed, Alex Olesky and Joe Scott.

START AND FINISH GIVEAWAYS AND MASCOT FROM TITLE SPONSOR AJ BELL

The AJ Bell team and their mascot Investabell will be back! They will be handing out bells to help you cheer for your runner at the start and the finish line. Look out for them to get yours while they last. Why not grab a picture with Investabell or ask for details of how to submit a message to appear on the big screen at the on-course AJ Bell Motivation Station.

AJ BELL MOTIVATION STATION

Submit a message for your runner HERE and we will show as many as we can on the big screen at the AJ Bell Motivation Station. It's linked to your runner’s number, so they have the chance to see the message pop up as they run by.

Time on your hands? Why not head down to the Motivation Station to enjoy the music and see all the supporter messages as you wait for your runner.

LUCKY SAINT EVENT VILLAGE AND AFTER PARTY

Look out for Lucky Saint, the Official Alcohol-Free Beer Partner, as their team will be sampling and pouring golden pints from their Lucky Saint Caravan in the event village. Head there early to beat the crowds and enjoy yours while you wait for your runner to finish.

The Event Village on Peter Street, and Charity Village on Deansgate is open to everyone and features a range of activities and exhibitors for everyone to enjoy. As well as Lucky Saint we have lot of great partner activities and exhibitors at the event village this year including, Mitchum, Solgar, SIS, Eat Lean, Liquid IV, PEBE, We Road and not forgetting music from the Heart Truck. It’s a great place to meet up with your runner after they have finished or why not head down there at the start of the day to see what on offer before it gets busy.

MEETING RUNNERS AT THE FINISH

If you are meeting a runner at the finish, agree a meeting point in advance. The official meeting point is at Peter Street. Look for the large A-Z banners and arrange to meet at the one that corresponds to the first letter of your runner’s surname.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Our top tip: where possible, make use of the public transport options available on the day. Visit the Transport for Greater Manchester website to plan your journey by car, train, tram, bus, bike, or on foot.

Using the Tram? You can find a list of Tram stops along the 10k and half marathon routes, including distance markers on the TFGM website.

GET THE EVENT DAY TRACKING APP

Don’t miss a second of the Great Manchester Run action - download the Great Run Event Day app. All you need is a participant’s name or run number and you can track multiple runners at the same time. Thanks to timing mats at split intervals, tracking is super-accurate, and you’ll have lots of other info at your fingertips - average pace, expected finish time – you can also donate to runners’ chosen charities.

Good luck to all you runners!