Manchester Half Marathon: All you need to know

The half marathon will take runners across a colourful route ending close to Old Trafford stadium

For almost a decade, the Manchester Half Marathon's colourful 13.1m (21km) route has become a firm fixture in the city's cultural calendar.

Starting and ending close to Old Trafford stadium, the race returns for another year on Sunday - with a record of 28,000 runners expected to take on the challenge.

Also for the first time, the event is set to see an equal number of men and women take part.

The run is expected to raise some £1.5 million for charities, with thousands running in support of Alzheimer's Society, Cancer Research UK and The Christie hospital.

Timings

The Manchester Half will see both elite and non-elite participants take on the route.

Elite wheelchair participants will set off first at 08:55 BST, followed by the elite wave five minutes later.

Non-elite participants will then hear the klaxon - and set off in 10-minute intervals, depending on their allocated wave colour, until 10:48.

Whilst waiting to start, participants will enjoy some pre-run inspiration from former Lioness Izzy Christiansen in her role as the official event starter.

The route

The official start point is on the A56 opposite Victoria Warehouse in Trafford, where runners will then head past Cornbrook tram stop and back on themselves before passing through Stretford, Sale, Chorlton-cum-Hardy and then the finish line on Talbot Road, which boasts picture-perfect views back to the city centre.

Once over the line, participants will be greeted with medals.

Access to the start process is adjacent to Trafford Town Hall. Those wishing to use the bag drop facility should enter Lancashire Cricket Club via gates 5 and 10.

Marshals will direct participants to the start line from both locations.

The race will see both elite and non-elite participants take on the route

Road closures

Road closures will be in effect along and around the route starting from Saturday, when preparations get under way.

Those affected should allow extra time for journeys as open roads in the surrounding areas will be busy.

Many bus services will also be diverted due to these closures.

More information on road closures can be found on the race's official website.

Getting there

The tram network will allow best access to and from the event.

Imperial War Museum tram stop is a 15-minute walk from the Event Village around the start point, but participants can also alight at Old Trafford or Trafford Bar tram stops.

As buses will be disrupted by road closures, those arriving in Manchester by train are advised to take the tram.

Participants are also advised to avoid driving to the event due to congestion.

There is no official parking but Manchester United has prepaid parking spaces available for £18 when booked in advance.

Famous faces

Along with former Lioness Christiansen there will be some other familiar faces along the route.

They include The Traitors contestant Diane Carson, Apprentice finalist Camilla Ainsworth and Gladiators finalist Aneila Afsar, who will aim to break her half marathon personal best while pushing her child in a pram.

BBC Radio 1 DJ Danny Howard will be sharing his favourite running tracks with participants before the event.

Meanwhile, Coronation Street stars Harriet Bibby, Calum Lill and Channique Sterling-Brown will also be lacing up their running shoes.