Sunday travellers warned to plan their journeys ahead of Great Manchester Run and City champions’ parade

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is cautioning residents to plan their journeys in advance ahead of a busy day for the road and public transport network on Sunday 26th May.

Nearly 100,000 fans are expected to line the streets of Manchester city centre for Manchester City’s champions’ parade, which sets off from Cathedral Gardens at 7.30pm and will make its way along Deansgate. The parade takes place after the ever-popular Great Manchester Run event, which gets under way in the morning and continues through to mid-afternoon.

Transport for Greater Manchester’s newly enhanced, state-of-the-art control room will play a vital role on the day, hosting a range of partners to monitor and manage transport in support of the two events.
 
The work of the control centre team helps to minimise the potential transport issues that are often associated with major events. Having the right people in the right place not only helps TfGM and its partners to respond quickly and effectively but ensures a consistent approach to dealing with unexpected incidents. And it also helps to provide the public with correctly timed, accurate and coordinated messaging about safety and transport options.

The start line for the half marathon and 10K events is on Portland Street, with staggered starting times for the respective races. The 10K takes in the sights and sounds of Salford and the city centre, while the half marathon route stretches out to the east of the city and also takes in the important landmarks of the 10K.

There will be a number of road closures in place to enable both the race and the parade. Details of closures for the GM Run are available on our dedicated webpage.

With thousands of football fans, runners and race spectators pouring into the city centre over the course of the day, people are strongly encouraged to use public transport to make their journeys.

Tram will be the best way of getting around, with Metrolink running as many services as possible on the day. Dedicated travel advice for race spectators, City fans and the wider travelling public can be found on  the TfGM website.

People are advised to ‘travel smart’ and leave the car at home to avoid expected congestion on the roads, or to use park and rides and travel to their destinations by tram. Those out and about, can download the Bee Network app to plan their journeys, take a look at live departures from tram stops or visit our travel alerts hub.

Metrolink will be operating a 15-minute service on all lines. Stops with more than one service running through them will have trams arriving more frequently. Services are expected to be extremely busy throughout the day and those who can travel flexibly are encouraged to travel when the network is predicted to be at its quietest.

 A great option for race spectators that need to drive is to park at Parkway and hop on a Trafford Park line tram to cheer your runner on along the route – then jump  back on the tram to meet up them at Deansgate-Castlefield.

People may also want to consider using buses to get around and take advantage of the single and any day bus tickets on offer, providing a single journey for £2 (£1 child) or unlimited travel on any bus across Greater Manchester for £5 (£2.50 child). Due to events some road closures will be in place in the city centre, meaning some services will be diverted, and passengers are advised to plan their journey in advance, Customers can also use the Bee Network app’s new tracker feature to see where their buses are.

All Great Manchester Run activities end at 3.30 pm on Sunday, to allow Deansgate to be prepared for City’s celebratory parade.

Steve Gilholme, Head of Service Delivery at TfGM, said:

“It’s going to be huge day for the city with the blue side celebrating another season of phenomenal success while the Great Manchester Run is sure to be as fantastically popular as ever.

“It will be an exceptionally busy day on the transport network with tens of thousands of fans, runners and race spectators making there way to the city centre over the course of the day.

“I would strongly encourage people to ‘travel smart’, whether they’re coming into town for the parade, race or making their way to a different destination.

“Please allow yourself plenty of time and check our dedicated webpage for information on how your journeys may be impacted by road closures, bus diversions and busy periods. And don’t forget the Bee Network app is a fantastic tool for journey planning and real-time travel advice while you’re out and about.”