AJ Bell Great Manchester Run
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We're back on 31 May 2026, and entries are open!
Sign up now and SAVE with our Earlybird Offer.
Sign up now and SAVE with our SAVER PRICE Offer, for a limited time. This year’s event was a sell-out, so get in early to secure your place on the start line!
With a 10K or a half marathon distance to choose from, tens of thousands of runners take to the streets of Manchester to take on the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run challenge each year. And in true Mancunian style, it’s a party from start to finish, with a high-energy soundtrack, live music and entertainment zones at every turn – plus, some of the loudest and most enthusiastic local support we’ve seen anywhere in the UK.
AJ Bell Great Manchester Run entries are open to runners aged 15+ (10k) and 17+ (Half marathon) on the day of the event. A booking fee (£3.00 per entry) is applied at checkout.
What Makes It Great?
Free Great Run Series Event Day Tracking App
Access Exclusive Runner-Only Discounts via Our Rewards Platform
Free Training Plans and Support up to Event Day
Get 10% Off When You Refer A Friend
Run Past Some of the City’s Most Famous Landmarks Including Coronation Street and Imperial War Museum
Music and Entertainment to Keep You Motivated
Run Number Personalised With Your Name
Event Timetable: 31 May 2026
Please note: provisional timetable may be subject to change.
Event Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Great Manchester Run start and finish?
The Great Manchester Run 10k and half marathon events start on Portland Street, near the junction with Oxford Street, and both races finish on Manchester’s iconic Deansgate. Check out the route maps for more information.
Is the Great Manchester Run route hilly or flat?
The Great Manchester Run half marathon begins with a bit of an incline and finishes on some downward running, whereas the 10k has some downhill near the start and a short incline towards the end. Learn more about how to train your route in our training section.
How do I track runners at the Great Manchester Run?
Easy – with the free Great Run app. Use our accurate tracking feature to help spot family, friends and elites, view professional photos and get updates. Available from the Apple app or Google Play store.
When will I receive my race number for the Great Manchester Run?
Your race number (which contains your timing chip) should arrive 1-2 weeks before the run. If you managed to get your hands on a last-minute or overseas entry (i.e. after Friday 8 May) you’ll need to collect your race number from the information point on the morning of the event.
Can I move to a different wave?
If you wish to move to a slower wave then that is fine, simply assemble with the later wave. You do not need to visit the information point. It is not possible to move to a faster wave. Waves are allocated based on your estimated time and cannot be changed.
Can I leave my bag at the start of the Great Manchester Run?
Yes. Baggage buses can be found close to the start on Deansgate (half marathon) or Hardman Street and Jackson’s Row (10k) – see the event guide for opening times. You’ll need to fill out your baggage label on your race number, detach it and fasten it securely to your bag before you leave home. Then use your race number to collect your bag when you finish.
When will I receive pre-event information for the Great Manchester Run?
You’ll receive a series of emails in the run up to the event, including a ‘One Month To Go!’ email from with your Great Manchester Run Event Guide which has everything you need to know. It’s also available here on the event page (although check again shortly before the event to catch any updates).
Where can I download a training plan for the Great Manchester Run?
We have free 10k and half marathon training plans for all levels on our Training Page. You’ll also find some bespoke information on training for the Great Manchester Run route in our training section.
When will I get my results and event photos?
Access your photos and results straight away on the free Great Run event day app, or here on the website after the event.
RUNNERS IN ACTION
Find Runner PhotosUseful Links
Training Advice
View All Training ArticlesRoad Closures
Several roads within the city will be affected by event road closures, and traffic diversion plans will be in operation on the day. A rolling programme of road closures will be implemened from 02:00 – 08:00. For a full list of all road closures and times please click on the link below.
What You Get
We have made the decision to introduce optional finisher tees to our Great Run events. You can choose to forgo you finisher tee shirt at the point of entry, and in lieu of this we will make a donation to the National Trust Woodlands Appeal. Find out more here. We will donate a portion of the fulfilment costs for each runner who chooses this option to the fund and commit that this donation to be approx. £20,000. To view our full Environmental Strategy, please click here.
Obviously you’ll have bragging rights for the forseeable, but you’ll also get:
The Medal
The Photos
The App
The Discounts
2024 Finisher Medals
Run for Charity
If you are looking to run to raise money for a charity close to your heart, or help to support a good cause, then there are hundreds of charity running places available to choose from.
Choose A Charity
Signup for a slot
Start Fundraising
Fundraising Tips
AJ Bell Great Manchester Run
Charities
Alzheimer’s Society has been proudly selected as the official charity of the AJ Bell Great Run Series. Together we’re investing in a world without dementia. Together, we’ve got dementia on the run.
As the country’s biggest killer, someone develops dementia every three minutes in the UK.
Dementia is everywhere, and it’s an urgent concern for us all. It can affect anyone – including people in their 40s who have young-onset dementia and young families struggling to cope with responsibilities of caring for a loved one. Dementia touches every generation and every community.
At Alzheimer’s Society, we know the steps it will take to create a future where dementia no longer devastates lives. We’re the only dementia charity doing everything it takes to beat the condition. Delivering vital support services, funding pioneering research and campaigning relentlessly for change.
We’re now so close to lifechanging treatments being available for people who need them most. For the first time, we’ve truly got dementia on the run.
Hope is on the horizon but to get there, we need everyone on the team. Because it will take a society to beat dementia.
The money we raise from the AJ Bell Great Run series will help us get there faster. Join us.
Join forces with the team that will get you to the finish line. We’re the only ones fighting over 200 cancer . Our life-saving work is funded entirely by the generosity of our supporters, so every step we make towards beating cancer relies on every pound, and every runner. One in two people now survive cancer. Together we’ve achieved so much, but we won’t stop until we’ve beaten it altogether. Join the team today and we will beat cancer.
The Bobby Moore Fund was set up in memory legendary footballer Bobby Moore, who sadly died from bowel cancer aged just 51.To date the Bobby Moore Fund has raised over £20 million. The funds are spent on world class bowel cancer research carried out by leading scientists working across the UK. With your support, bowel cancer stands no chance. Let’s make Bobby proud and help beat it sooner. Join the Bobby Moore Fund team today.
When you run for BHF, you can help us achieve our vision of a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases. You run for the people you love. You run to help us fund lifesaving research and support people affected by heart and circulatory diseases. You run to help keep families together for longer.
It’s because of you, BHF-funded research is possible. Together, we can make the impossible possible. Thank you.
Join an army of Team Christie supporters and put your best foot forward at Manchester’s biggest and best day of running!
The Christie is committed to revolutionising the fight against cancer by funding world reaching research, treatment and care, and education. With every step you take around the city centre streets you will be helping us to achieve our ultimate goal of a future without cancer.
Whether it is your first or your fifteenth run, the extra-special atmosphere and Team Christie encouragement will ensure you never forget crossing that famous finish line. Be part of something special; choose The Christie!
At Macmillan, we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are our worries. We will move mountains to help you live life as fully as you can. And we don’t stop there. We’re going all out to find ever better ways to help people with cancer, helping to bring forward the day when everyone gets life-transforming support from day one. We’re doing whatever it takes, but we couldn’t do what we do without you, thank you so much for your support.
Manchester Foundation Trust Charity supports continuing excellence in treatment, research and care in our family of hospitals across Manchester and Trafford, including Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
As a charity our mission is simple: to support the excellence in treatment, research and care we provide to our patients each and every day. We want to make a real difference to the people we treat – young and old – by making sure that they continue to receive the very best treatment in the very best facilities. We do this by focussing our fundraising efforts on three key areas – treatment, research and care.
We’re Mind. We’re here to fight for mental health. We produce trusted information all about mental health problems. We support people through our helplines and online Side by Side community. We campaign with the government to get a better deal on mental health. And we speak out when something isn’t right, demanding mental health support respects our rights. There’s so much we do – and we couldn’t do it without you, so thank you.
The North West Air Ambulance Charity’s helicopters and HEMS response vehicles operate 365 days a year, with highly skilled specialist doctors and HEMS paramedics on board providing enhanced pre-hospital care and hospital transfers to patients across the entire North West region each year – an area covering 5,500 square miles and over 8 million people. The charity is completely reliant on public and corporate donations to keep the North West Air Ambulance Charity service operational and helping to save lives, needing to raise over £18 million a year to support its lifesaving service. For more information on the North West Air Ambulance Charity or to donate, please visit https://ddec1-0-en-ctp.trendmicro.com:443/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=www.nwairambulance.org.uk&umid=d92ce629-1ad2-4461-bcbc-603adec57e92&rct=1742482405&auth=0d406a3c0c45a6913134828c00e4aafa465b5616-4245035f60baf8618009ec58a2198dc6c2552911 or call 0800 587 4570.
The NSPCC are the Uk’s leading children’s charity and we are passionate about the work we do. We want to answer every call, reach every child when they need help, and keep adapting to whatever challenge is thrown at us.
Around 90 per cent of our income comes from our supporters – people like you, who decide to take a stand and help protect children. Join the team today and together we can help keep children safe.
Moya Cole Hospice, formerly known as St Ann’s Hospice, cares for people impacted by life-limiting illnesses right across Greater Manchester. Only third of its funding comes from the NHS – the rest relies on the kind support of people who raise money. Every penny makes a real difference to providing free, outstanding support to patients and families when they need it most.
Run for the hospice and you’ll get great perks, including a post-race drinks reception and massage, a free running vest or t-shirt, training plans, and a friendly team who will support you all the way and cheer you through the race! Make every mile matter. Run for Moya Cole Hospice.
When stroke strikes, part of your brain shuts down. And so does a part of you. Life changes instantly and recovery is tough. But the brain can adapt. Our specialist support, research and campaigning are only possible with the courage and determination of the stroke community. With more donations and support from you, we can rebuild even more lives. Rebuilding lives after stroke is a team effort and you’re a vital part of it. Join #TeamStroke and help us rebuild lives after stroke.
Other Charities
| Action Tutoring |
| Adoption Matters |
| Age UK Cheshire |
| Alcohol Change |
| Army Cadet Charitable Trust UK |
| Become |
| Beep Doctors |
| Breakthrough T1D |
| Bridging the Gap (Manchester) |
| Charity Right |
| Child Bereavement UK |
| Children with Cancer UK |
| Clatterbridge Cancer Charity |
| Coeliac UK |
| Cure Leukaemia |
| Cure Usher Syndrome |
| David Lewis |
| Destination Florida |
| Diabetes UK |
| Dogs Trust |
| East Lancashire Hospice |
| Epilepsy Society |
| Foothold |
| Forever Manchester |
| Francis House Children’s Hospice |
| GAIN (Guillain-Barré and Associated Inflammatory Neuropathies) |
| Greater Manchester Youth Network |
| Harry’s Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust |
| Heartbeat NWCC |
| HExN |
| Home-Start HOST |
| Home-Start Trafford, Salford & Wigan |
| Hull 4 Heroes |
| Jon Egging Trust |
| Kidney Research UK |
| Kidneys for Life |
| Lancashire Mind |
| Little Green Sock Project |
| Maggie’s |
| Manchester Youth Zone |
| Mental Health UK |
| Moss side Millennium Powerhouse |
| Motor Neurone Disease Association |
| Movember |
| MPS Society |
| MS Together |
| Mustard Tree |
| National Deaf Children’s Society |
| National Eczema Society |
| Neuroendocrine Cancer UK |
| NorthCare Charity |
| North West Cancer Research |
| OCD-UK |
| Olympias Music Foundation |
| Pandas Foundation |
| PAPYRUS |
| Parkinsons UK |
| Prevent Breast Cancer |
| PURPLE HEART WISHES |
| Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities |
| Royal Society for Blind Children |
| Sale Sharks Foundation |
| Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK |
| Seashell |
| Sewa UK |
| Signhealth |
| Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK |
| Spoons |
| St Mary’s Hospice |
| Team Mikayla |
| The EHE Rare Cancer Charity (UK) |
| The Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity |
| The Noah Jordan Foundation |
| The Oddballs Foundation |
| The Royal Marines Charity |
| The Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS) Foundation UK |
| The Tom Henson Charity |
| The Urology Foundation |
| The Wellspring |
| Together Dementia Support |
| Together We Can Fundraising |
| Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby charity |
| UK-Med |
| Unique, Rare Chromosome Disorder Support Group |
| Walking with the Wounded |
| We Love MCR Charity |
| Wellbeing of Women |
| Yorkshire Cancer Research |
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