Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
Running Manchester? Do your long runs with the gel you will race on. Get them on Amazon Amazon partner link
Back to your race planner
ASICS Manchester Half
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Distance
- 21.1 km13.1 mi
- Half marathon, from the race name, not from a published programme
The course
The ASICS Manchester Half is 13.1 miles on closed roads, traditionally starting and finishing by Old Trafford.
- 13.1 miles on closed roads13.1 miles on closed roads, by Old Trafford.
- Flat, with no major hillsFlat and friendly: no major hills.
- Live acts and 50,000 supporters27 featured points in 2026, over 50,000 supporters.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseLandmark13.1 miles on closed roads13.1 miles on closed roads, by Old Trafford.
The organiser describes a half marathon held every October, traditionally starting and finishing by Old Trafford, launched in 2016 and licensed by England Athletics. The 2027 race is on Sunday 3 October. The Event Village stands at the Lancashire Cricket Club grounds, where runners are also directed to the start.
Sourced
Whole courseGradientFlat, with no major hillsFlat and friendly: no major hills.
The organiser’s own pitch for the race is a flat and friendly course with no major hills and massive personal-best potential, run completely on closed roads. The 2026 edition drew more than 30,000 entrants according to the organiser.
Sourced
Whole courseCrowdLive acts and 50,000 supporters27 featured points in 2026, over 50,000 supporters.
Across the 13.1 miles of the 2026 course the organiser lists 27 featured points with cheer stations, live musical performances and DJ sets, and puts the crowd at more than 50,000 supporters lining the course.
Sourced
Entry
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
We hold no start time for this race, so the record is read at 09:009:00 AM, local time.
Race fuel
Energy gel
2 gels for Manchester, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7.3mile 4.6
- km 14.7mile 9.1
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the ASICS Manchester Half.
