Manchester Marathon 2025: Route, full list of road closures, start time - all you need to know as travel warning issued

The 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon is the UK's second largest marathon, and this year’s event is set to be one of the biggest with 36,000 people taking part. This year’s event will take place on the same day as the London Marathon, in what is being billed as the largest day of marathon running in UK history - with 90,000 people set to take to the streets of Greater Manchester and London.

This year, the Manchester Marathon will have a new finish line close to the city centre. Previously, the start and finish areas were near Old Trafford, with the route travelling through the city centre. But now, runners will be completing the course at The University of Manchester on Oxford Road.

What time does it start?

Male and female elite races featuring 2024 winner Adam Clarke and Melissah Gibson (who returns hoping to better her 2nd place result last year) begin at 9am, with the mass field following shortly after. Waves are set off at ten-minute intervals, and at 11:50am all 36,000 participants will have started their challenge.

Elite and White bib participants will set off first at 9am, followed by red at 9.10am, Blue at 9.20am, Bronze at 9.30am and Light Green at 9.40am. The Purple band will head out at 9.50am, Yellow at 10am, Navy at 10.10am and Grey at 10.20am. Maroon will depart at 10.30am, Orange at 10:40am, Black at 10.50am, Pink at 11am, Cyan at 11.10am, Dark Green at 11:20am, and Coral at 11:30am.

What is the route?

As part of the Manchester Marathon route for 2025, runners can expect to take in some of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks, from Bridgewater Hall and Beetham Tower, to the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ itself, Old Trafford. Runners will still start under the Trafford Arch before making their way through Greater Manchester towns like Stretford, Sale, and Altrincham, before heading past Whalley, Hulme and finishing on Oxford Road outside the university.

Full list road closures

Old Trafford

• The marathon start line is on the A56 joining Chester Road so no prizes for guessing this road will be closed.
• The A56 will be closed on the day from 3am to 3pm, including Chester Road, Bridgewater Way, Wharfside Way and Talbot Road.
• There will be no through route to A5063 between 7am and 12pm
• Stretford Road will be closed from 7am to 2pm, with no parking from 11pm on Saturday, April 26 until the end of the event.

Stretford

• Edge Lane and Wilbraham Road will be closed on the day from 8.30am to 6.30pm.
• Kingsway will also be shut from 8.30am to 1.30pm.
• The Stretford stretch of Chester Road, and Chapel Lane will be closed northbound from 3am to 7.30am and fully closed 7.30am to 6.30pm.
• Sandy Lane and Barton Road (A5181) will be fully closed from 7.30am to 4pm and closed southbound from 4pm to 6.30pm.
• The M60/junction 7 slip road will also be closed from 6.30am to 7.30pm on the day.

Sale

• Broad Road will be closed from 7.30am to 6pm on the day.
• School Road, heading past Sale Town Hall and Waterside Arts Centre, will also be closed from 9am to 6pm.
• Dane Road will be shut from 7.30am to 6pm (south west of Winstanley Road) and 9am to 6pm (south east of Winstanley Road) – probably best to just avoid this entirely.
• Cross Road will also be closed on this day from 7.30am to 4pm.
• Derbyshire Road and Marsland Road will both be closed from 8.30am to 5.45pm.
• Marsland Road, westbound from Cromer Road will be shut from 8am to 5.30pm
• Brooklands Road will be closed from 6.30am to 5.30pm, and there will be no parking in Brooklands Road and Marsland Road, east from Brooklands crossroads, from 11pm on Saturday, April 26 until the end of the event.

Brooklands

• Washway Road will be closed from 7.30am to 4pm

Timperley

• Shaftesbury Road and Stockport Road will be shut from 8.30am to 5pm.
• Park Road will be sealed off from 7.30am to 4.30pm.

Altrincham

• Oakfield Road, Stamford New Road and Market Street will be closed from 8.30am to 4.40pm.
• There will ne no parking from 11pm on Saturday, April 13 until conclusion of the marathon.

Whalley Range

• Barlow Moor Road, Manchester Road, and Upper Chorlton Road will be closed from 9am to 6.30pm.
• Chorlton Road will be shut from 9am to 7pm.

Hulme and Oxford Road

• Leading in from Whalley Range, Stretford Road will be closed from 9am to 7pm.
• Boundary Lane and Burlington Street will be shut from 9am to 7pm.
• Higher Cambridge Street and Denmark Road will be closed from 4am to 7pm.
• And Oxford Road, where the marathon finishes, will be closed from Saturday, April 26 at 8am until the following day at midnight.