Manchester Half Marathon 2023: race date, what this year’s edition is and why there are 36 finisher medals

The Manchester Half Marathon is a showpiece event in the city, with thousands of participants taking on the 13.1 mile route. The race brings Manchester to a halt as thousands more watch on.  

In 2023, the race takes place on Sunday October 15. The event first launched in 2016 and it's fair to say it has gone from strength to strength since. 

This year, around 16,000 people are expected to take part in the event, which is designed to showcase the best of Manchester. The challenge takes in some of the most well known sites of the city, but unfortunately entry for the 2023 event is now closed. 

The 2023 event will once again both start and finish at Old Trafford. Other highlights of the route include passing by Deansgate and Castlfield. 

What is the edition for the Manchester Half Marathon 2023? 

Each year, the Manchester Half Marathon has an edition or a theme. In 2022, the edition was superheroes and runners were encouraged to dress up as a caped crusader. Many answered this call, and it made for some great photos. 

In 2023, the Manchester Half Marathon will have a theme of ‘Express Yourself’. To help encourage this, participants had the option to personalise their bib. They could choose an emoji that best describes how they feel about taking on the challenge, share their reason for running and select a national flag to be displayed on their bib. The deadline to personalise your bib has, however, now passed.

Runners are being asked to partake on a unique journey by the half marathon’s organisers. This theme of expressing yourself is also carried on within the finisher medals. 

Event organisers have said that they know everyone is different, and this year so are the medals at the half marathon. To celebrate this, participants will be given one of 36 medal designs at random when they cross the finish line.