Manchester Half Marathon

Sunday 4 October 2026

The Manchester Half Marathon returns on Sunday 4 October 2026 starting and finishing by Old Trafford.

Whether you are cheering someone on, or just out and about, we've prepared the latest travel advice so that you are prepared for the all-important race day.

Key advice

With a half marathon route, the event requires a significant number of road closures.

More details will be added in due course. Please check back for updates in the weeks leading up to the event.

You can find more travel advice below.

To allow the event to take place, there will be major road closures in Manchester and in areas to the south of the city.

As a result, there will be diversions on Saturday 3 October and extensive diversions in place on Sunday 4 October.

Anyone travelling is advised to plan ahead and allow plenty of time for their journey.

More information on bus diversions will be added in due course. Please check back for updates in the weeks leading up to the event.

You can find more travel advice below.

Runners taking part in the race are advised to use Old Trafford, Trafford Bar or Imperial War Museum tram stops to get to the start line on Bridgewater Way.

Due to closures, it's not advised to use Pomona, Cornbrook, Exchange Quay or Wharfside.

After the race, it is not advised to board the tram at Trafford Bar due to closures on Talbot Road.

You can find more travel advice below.

Jump to travel advice:

Information for runners
Information for spectators
Information for getting around on the day

Information for runners

The start line for the half marathon is on Bridgewater Way. You'll get lots of information from the event organisers themselves about how to access the start line if you are a registered runner.

If you are new to Manchester and wondering how to get into the city centre, we can help.

Imperial War Museum: This stop is located on the Trafford Park line and is a 15-minute walk to the start line and will be much quieter than Old Trafford and Trafford Bar tram stops.

Other stops that are close by but will be busier include:

Old Trafford: This stop is located on the Altrincham line and is a 10-minute walk to the start line.
Trafford Bar: This stop is located on the Altrincham, East Didsbury, Manchester Airport and Rochdale lines and is a 3-minute walk to the start line.

Getting there by road

With road closures in place for the event and limited parking nearby, we're advising runners to leave the car at home, and opt for public transport instead.

If you must drive, consider using our park and ride locations and finish the final leg of the journey by tram.

Getting there by train

Travelling to the city centre by train?

We've listed the stations below, along with the easiest way to get to the start line by tram once you arrive in Manchester.

From Manchester Piccadilly

Hop on the tram heading to Altrincham and alight at Old Trafford (10-minute walk to the start line) or Trafford Bar (3-minute walk to the start line).
Alternatively, hop on the tram to Altrincham and change at Cornbrook to a Trafford Centre service and alight at Imperial War Museum (15-minute walk to the start line)

From Manchester Victoria

Hop on the tram heading to Manchester Airport or East Didsbury and alight at Trafford Bar (3-minute walk to the start line).
Alternatively, change at Cornbrook for a service heading to the Trafford Centre to alight at at Imperial War Museum (a 15-minute walk to the start line) or board a Altrincham service at Cornbrook and alight at Old Trafford (a 10-minute walk to the start line).

From Manchester Oxford Road

You will need to take a 10-minute walk to St Peter's Square. From there, you can hop on the tram heading to Altrincham, East Didsbury or Manchester Airport and alight at Trafford Bar (3-minute walk to the start line).
Alternatively, you can board a service heading to Altrincham at St Peter's Square and hop off at Old Trafford (a 10-minute walk to the start line). Another option could be to a board a service heading to Eccles at St Peter's Square and alight at Pomona then board a Trafford Centre service to alight at Imperial War Museum (a 15-minute walk to the start line).

Information for spectators

Providing a friend or loved one with that all-important encouragement?

The best way to travel along the course will be by tram.

Roads around the start and finish lines are going to be as busy as they get, so why not travel by tram to Sale, Altrincham or Chorlton to grab a coffee and claim your spectator's spot?

Here are a list of tram stops that will take you to our favourite spots to spectate from:

Deansgate-Castlefield - Majority of services operate via this stop. If travelling from Bury, you will need to change in the city centre or it is a short a walk away.
Wharfside - This stop is located on the Trafford Park line. You can change for a service heading to the Trafford Centre at Deansgate-Castlefield, Cornbrook or Pomona to reach this stop.
Chorlton - This stop is located on the East Didsbury line. You can change for a service heading to East Didsbury at Trafford Bar, Cornbrook, Deansgate-Castlefield, St Peter's Square, Exchange Square or Victoria to reach this stop.
Stretford - This stop is located on the Altrincham line. You can change for a service heading to Altrincham at Piccadilly, Piccadilly Gardens, St Peter's Square, Deansgate-Castlefield, Cornbrook or Trafford Bar to reach this stop.
Sale Water Park - This stop is located on the Manchester Airport line. You can change for a service heading to Manchester Airport at St Werburgh's Road, Trafford Bar, Cornbrook, Deansgate-Castlefield, St Peter's Square, Market Street, Shudehill or Victoria to reach this stop.
Old Trafford - This stop is located on the Altrincham line. You can change for a service heading to Altrincham at Piccadilly, Piccadilly Gardens, St Peter's Square, Deansgate-Castlefield, Cornbrook or Trafford Bar to reach this stop.

Once you've decided which stop you want to travel to visit our journey planner to help plan your route.

You can also take a look at Manchester Marathon's interactive map.

Getting around on the day

On Sunday 4 October, there will be major road closures in Manchester and in areas to the south of the city. As a result, many buses in south Manchester will operate on diversion during the day.

More details will be added in due course. Please check back for updates in the weeks leading up to the event.

First time in Manchester? Getting around is simple with the city’s tram system.

Whether you're spectating or just out and about in the area, travelling by tram will be the best choice on race day. This means that you avoid delays to your journey as a result of road closures and bus diversions.

There are 99 stops on the network with many close to the event start/finish line and along the race route.

The Manchester Half Event village is located just a few minutes walk from Old Trafford tram stop making it a great place to meet family and friends before and after the race.

The starting and finishing lines are also easily accessible from Old Trafford, Trafford Bar stops and Imperial War Museum.

Why not also try Chorlton, Sale, Stretford and Wharfside to catch the action along the route?

All lines — in particular the Altrincham, East Didsbury and Trafford Park Lines — are expected to be much busier than normal throughout the day. To keep everyone safe, you may be asked to queue before boarding a tram.

There will be a 15-minute service with extra double trams across the network. However, on the Altrincham line between Timperley and Piccadilly the frequency will be increased to at least every 7.5 minutes.

Tickets

Beat the queue at the machines and touch-in and out at the on-stop machines using contactless. Save money and travel with the family using our family travelcard available on the Bee Network app.

Take a look at which ticket is right for you using our ticket finder

Park and ride  

If you are unable to make the entire journey by tram, consider using park and ride.

Park and ride with Metrolink is a quick and easy solution to travel to the event, without worrying where to leave your car. Park and ride parking is free with a valid Metrolink ticket.

Find the park and ride site that is right for you on our dedicated webpage

Due to the road closures, we are strongly advising people to avoid driving, as the closures are likely to cause congestion and delays.

Closures will affect roads along and around the race route including parts of Stretford, Sale, Chorlton and surrounding areas.

There is no official parking for the event so if you do have to drive, you can avoid the road closures by leaving your car at a park and ride site for free and hop on the tram.

There's a total of 24 park and ride sites to choose from, depending on which direction you are coming from.

Find the park and ride site that is right for you on our dedicated webpage.

Please make sure that you check your route before travelling. You can do this by checking our detailed list of road closures or by visiting the Half Manchester Marathon interactive map and search by street or area.

Manchester is served by a number of mainline train stations, connecting the city with all corners of the UK.

Remember to plan your rail journey in advance of your trip by checking with your operator or on the National Rail website.

If you are going to watch the event or just travelling around on the day, we would advise you consider walking or cycling for shorter trips as it may be quicker for you.

Due to the number of road closures in place on the day, journey times in the car are likely to increase compared to a typical Sunday.

Plan your cycle route and find the best viewing spots.

For all things walking and cycling routes, visit our Bee Active webpages.

In Greater Manchester, we want everyone to travel safely and easily. We have a variety of accessibility guides suited to your journey on our accessibility hub and some key information for travelling by Metrolink and bus below.

Accessibility on Metrolink

Metrolink is a modern system with a range of accessibility features. All Metrolink trams and tram stops are accessible for wheelchair users.

Every tram stop has:

A ramp, lift, or escalator - for the latest service updates for lifts and escalators at your stop, visit our dedicated webpage.
Step-free access for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs
CCTV and emergency call-points
platforms with tactile edges for visually impaired passengers.

Every tram has:

An area for people who use wheelchairs
Space for pushchairs
Seats marked for people who have trouble standing
Emergency call points.

For further information on the accessibility of Metrolink, please visit the accessibility hub.

Accessibility on the bus

Many buses have ramps and can accommodate wheelchairs. Some new buses also have display screens, route numbers, destination displays and audio-visual ‘next stop’ announcements.

A lot of bus operators have low floor buses to make it easier for people who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and those with small children and pushchairs.

For further information, visit our accessibility hub and select your bus operator for their accessibility policies.