Manchester Marathon key information ahead of race day including road closures, start point and route

The 2024 Manchester Marathon will see thousands of runners hitting the streets of the city. A record 32,000 people will take part in the event this year, with thousands more set to line the streets and watch on. 

This year, the marathon will be on Sunday April 14. More than 125,000 spectators will watch on as runners make their way around Manchester. 

A new feature of this year's marathon is a new mascot, who will also be an icon of Manchester. Chester the Bee will join much-loved Manny the Bee, and the two will be a celebration of Manchester’s rich LGBTQIA+ community. 

Timings and route details for Manchester Marathon 2024

On the day of the race, the first wave of Elite Wheelchair runners will set off at 8.55am, and these will be followed by Elite runners at 9am. Following this, participants will set off in 10-minute intervals, with the last wave at 11.10am.

As with previous years, the route will start and end in Trafford. Participants will set off underneath Trafford Arch at White City Circle, making their way past Old Trafford before heading to the city centre via Chorlton and Hulme.

After reaching the city centre, runners will then head towards Stretford, passing through Sale before turning off before Timperley and reaching Altrincham at around the 16-mile mark.

The final leg of the route will take runners through Chorlton, with Talbot Road leading the way to the finish line. Runners will be able to take in plenty of major Manchester sites including from Bridgewater Hall and Beetham Tower, to Old Trafford. 

Road closures for Manchester Marathon 2024 

To make sure runners and spectators are safe on the day, several roads around Manchester will be closed. Roads will start to close at around 3am on race day, and they will reopen on a rolling basis. 

Road reopening will begin at around 2pm, with the last roads expected to be open at around 8pm. These will be roads through Chorlton and Old Trafford towards the end of the course. For a full map showing road closure timings, visit the Manchester Marathon website.