It’s expected that 38,000 people will take part in this weekend’s Great Manchester Run in the city centre
(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
People heading into Manchester this weekend are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run makes it grand return. It’s expected that 38,000 participants will take part in the major event.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has issued an update and advice on how best to travel ahead of the major event this weekend. Tens of thousands of runners, spectators and visitors will arrive in the city-region for the race, which takes place on Sunday, 31 May.
Runners will either take on a 10K route through Salford, Trafford and Manchester city centre or a half marathon stretching further east while passing some of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks. Both events start on Portland Street, near the junction with Oxford Street, and finish on Deansgate.
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Considered one of Europe’s biggest 10km races, this year’s run will also see thousands line the streets to cheer on and support those taking part. Meanwhile, famous faces taking part this year include stars from Race Across The World, The Traitors, and Waterloo Road.
Gemma Atkinson and Mike Toolan will also be taking part, as will Coronation Street star Elle Mulvaney and Emmerdale actor Bradley Riches. Spectators will also spot music legend Peter Hook run past on the day too.
TfGM is advising anyone travelling on the day to allow extra time for their journeys and to check before they travel, as there will be a significant number of road closures and extensive bus diversions in place throughout race day.
Road users are particularly encouraged to check the route and closures in advance, while bus passengers are being asked to check whether their services are impacted or diverted.
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at TfGM, said: “The Great Manchester Run is always one of the highlights of the city’s events calendar, bringing a fantastic festival atmosphere to the streets of Manchester, Trafford and Salford.
“With tens of thousands of people expected to travel into the city region it will undoubtedly be a very busy day. We want to make sure everyone can take part in or enjoy the event, which is why we encourage people to plan ahead, allow extra time for their journey and check the latest travel information before setting off.”
The event will see high demand across the Bee Network, with large numbers of runners, supporters and visitors travelling into Manchester city centre throughout the day.
TfGM has said that trams will be the best way to travel on the day, with many stops close to the start line and key spectating points along the route. Using contactless ‘tap and go’ also makes it simple to travel across bus and tram services, while the Bee Network app and website offer up-to-date travel information to help people plan their journeys.
To alleviate some of the pressure on the transport infrastructure, TfGM and its partners will be putting extra staff on the network, particularly at busiest stops to help people get on and off tram services.
It will also be running more double-trams, and working alongside partners, including Greater Manchester Police and its bus and tram operators, to monitor and respond to situations as they happen.
TfGM will also be working with local authority highways teams to get road restrictions lifted as soon as possible to minimise delays. It will move cycle hire bikes to key locations for people to use.
They key travel advice includes planning ahead and leaving extra time for journeys, checking road closures and bus diversions before travelling, and using public transport where possible.
Our full guide to the 2026 Great Manchester Run can be found here.
