The big day is nearly here, and we want to help you with any event day questions so you can focus on the important things: soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying your run.
We’ve got all the info you need here in this guide, but you can also check out greatrun.org for last-minute changes. To follow all the action as it happens, join the conversation on social media - just make sure you use
Download the FREE Great Run tracking app for on-the-day information, live tracking and results, plus opportunities to donate to runners’ chosen charities for family and friends.
from 11am –1pm
Find
Investing is a marathon, not a sprint. But it’s always nice to have a little push to start.
That’s why, when you open and pay into a new Pension, ISA or Lifetime ISA with us, we’ll give you a reward to take your training up a notch – a sports gift card worth up to £200.
Timetable
07:00 Information Point open
08:10 10k Elite wheelchair Start
08:15 Half Marathon Orange wave Start
08.40 Half Marathon Green wave Start
11:30 10K Elite women Start
11:45 10K Elite men Start
11:45 10K Fast paced & Orange wave Start
12:05 10k Green Wave Start
12:50 10k Purple Wave Start
13:10 10k Pink Wave Start
Travel
Our top tip: Where possible, make use of the public transport options available on the day. Visit the Transport for Greater Manchester website here to plan your journey by car, train, tram, bus, bike, or on foot.
For live travel updates on the day follow @OfficialTfGM on X , or check for live disruptions here.
Plan your journey in advance and leave plenty of time to get to the start line, as there will be a number of road closures in place for the weekend. You can see a full list here.
If you plan on driving into Manchester on race day, you can secure parking in advance with JustPark here. If you’re travelling in from outside the city, we’d advise parking further out and using a Park & Ride option to avoid the stress of city centre parking and potential congestion.
PARK & RIDE OPTIONS
Find more information here
These options are likely to be very busy, so be sure to plan ahead.
Any travel updates will be added to the website, so please check the event page ahead of the event.
NEAREST TRAM STATIONS
St. Peter’s Square
Information point located within St Peter’s Sq
Approx. 5-minute walk to baggage area
Approx. 5-minute walk to assembly area
Piccadilly Gardens
Deansgate-Castlefield
Approx. 12-minute walk to information point and baggage area
Approx. 7-minute walk to assembly area
Approx. 9-minute walk to information point and baggage area
Approx. 15-minute walk to assembly area
Information Point
The Information Point is there for last-minute queries, anyone who hasn’t received their race number, or race pack collection for anyone who enters after the cut-off date. Look out for the Great Run branded marquee.
We highly recommend coming to see us on Saturday because our Information Points on Sunday will be extremely busy and there will be queues.
Location
Great Northern Square what3words:///proper.enable.after
Outside the Library on St Peter’s Square what3words:///goals.short.dust
Opening Times
Saturday 17th May: 10am - 4pm
Sunday 18th May: 7am - 3.30pm
Safety Pins
No safety pins for your race number? No worries. You can collect some from the stand next to the Information Point without having to queue.
Wave & Start Time
Your wave colour and start time can be found on your run number, which should arrive in the post approximately 2 weeks before the event. Once you’ve received it, you have everything you need for event day, and you don’t need to visit the Information Point to register on the day. Simply attach your run number (which has your timing chip attached) to the front of your running top with safety pins and head to the start line.
Making your way to the start
Coloured signs will direct you to the assembly and start point for your wave on the day (see start map).
HM ORANGE
10K ORANGE & 10K PURPLE
HM GREEN 10K GREEN & 10K PINK
HM FAST PACED (yellow/white striped)
Street
Street
10K FAST PACED (yellow/white striped) Princess Street Charlotte Street
Baggage
Baggage Buses will be in the locations below. Please remember which bus you use when you return to collect your bag.
Please fill in your baggage label (tear off from your run number) before leaving the house if you can, and secure to your bag. You’ll need your run number to gain access to the buses to drop off and collect your bag, so we can ensure it matches the baggage label.
• Sorry, but the baggage buses are not for changing.
• Please make room for other runners as soon as you’ve dropped off your bag - thank you!
• Please don’t leave valuables in your bags - this is a self-service system and, although there are security staff present, we can’t accept any responsibility for lost or stolen items.
Your Run Number
Your run number must only be worn by you on the day, and it should match the master number on your covering letter. If it’s different, please contact Customer Services here.
Please don’t swap, copy, or change this number - passing your number on to someone else could put them at risk from illness or injury if they’re not properly prepared. If your run number hasn’t arrived through the post, please visit the Information Point to collect a replacement.
Please Note: if you secured your entry after 10 am on Friday 9 May, your run number hasn’t been posted out and must be collected from the Information Point. We are also unable to send race packs outside of the UK as we cannot guarantee their delivery, so will need to be collected from the Information Point.
Timing
Your timing chip is attached to the back of your run number. Please don’t remove the chip – it will affect the accuracy of your time. The chip will automatically record your time for you, and you don’t need to do anything else. Your chip doesn’t need to be returned at the end of the run.
You can access your results on the AJ Bell Great Run Series App, or on our website here after the event.
Warm Up
A warm-up artist will be on site to get you warmed up and stretched out (see timetable for warm-up time). Waves are set off separately to help regulate the flow of runners through the course.
Pacers
Achieve your best time with the help of the SOLGAR pacemakers. Follow a pacemaker marked with the time you want to achieve and pace your run to perfection.
Running with friends Walking
If you want to run with a friend but have different coloured run numbers, you can drop back to run together in the same wave, but not move forward.
If you plan on walking or walking/running the event, please start at the rear of your wave and stay to the left-hand side of the road. If you’re walking at less than 17 minutes per mile, you may be asked to move on to the footpath for the later sections of the race.
Start & Finish Map
Course Map
Entertainment Map
This year runners have the chance to claim a free photo courtesy of our title partners AJ Bell*. Don’t forget to smile at the dedicated free photo point on course (see the entertainment map on page 16 for details). Look out for your post event e-mail for the details of how to claim your free photo.
*While we will do our best to capture everyone there may be a small percentage of runners whose photo is not available. Display your run number clearly for the best chance to get yours.
FREE Photo Point Supporters Message Wall
Your friends and family will have the chance to submit their messages of support which will be ready to pop up on the big screen as you run by. Look out for the AJ Bell Cheer Zone in the final mile for the chance to see your message (see the entertainment map on page 16 for details). Submission will open on event week so look out for the link in pre-event e-mails and social post to share with you biggest supporters.
At the finish line
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Don’t stop immediately – please keep walking for a short distance so that you don’t block other runners. No matter your pace, everyone has run the same event, and everyone will get to cross the finish line.
Medical Support
Medical facilities will be available near to the start and finish line and will be positioned around the course should you require assistance. Please contact a medic or steward if you need help at any time.
Toilets
There will toilets at the start on Princess Street and Charlotte Street, and at the finish on Peter Street and Deansgate to use on arrival, and after your run. There will also be toilets available on the course (see map for details). Toilet facilities will be busy before and after the run, so please allow plenty of time.
Hydration
Aqua Pura water stations will be situated at key points on the route to help you stay hydrated (see course map). Drink, Drain and Aim your bottle into the on-course recycle points to help us keep the roads clear for other runners and increase the number of bottles we can recycle.
The bottles we use are 100% recycled and recyclable, with flip caps to ensure they stay with the bottle all the way to the collection point. Drinking or draining all your water helps to ensure we can recycle more bottles. We have increased the number of bins this year so make sure you look out for your nearest recycling point!
Finishers’ Packs
Finishers’ packs will be sorted by t-shirt size and will include a bottle of water, your medal, and other treats. Please take the pack that matches the t-shirt size you chose when you entered the event.
Please note the Pip & Nut Peanut Butter Stuffed Oat Bars are not suitable for peanut, oat, tree nut, milk or soya allergy sufferers.
T-Shirt Opt Out
If you selected ‘No T-Shirt’ at the time of entering the event, you will not receive a finishers’ t-shirt. Please follow the signage to the ‘No T-Shirt’ lane. This will be clearly indicated on your running number and there will be volunteers and stewards on hand to help direct you.
PLEASE NOTE: If you selected no T-Shirt, you cannot take a T-Shirt on the day. There are only enough on site for all those who requested one at the time of entering.
Event & charity village
The Event Village on Peter Street, and Charity Village on Deansgate is open to everyone and features a range of activities and exhibitors for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to pop along to check out the different stands, from Lucky Saint offering samples of their alcohol-free lager, to Mitchum with their finish line photo opportunity – there is so much to see and do!
Après Run
The fun doesn’t stop after you’ve crossed the finish line. Continue the high-energy celebration and embrace the post-run high by stepping into our Après Run Zone, located at Great Northern Square. We’ve got a Heart Radio DJ truck providing club anthems.
Fundraising
If you haven’t already, make sure you set up your official fundraising page on Enthuse, our official fundraising platform. Personalise your page with an image, your story and share to friends and family who can donate to your chosen charity. Now is the perfect time to get started on your fundraising journey or have a last push to raise some money for your chosen cause ahead of the big day.
Click here to start fundraising
Meeting Point
Please arrange to meet family and friends at the Meeting Point at Peter Street. Look for the large A-Z banners and stand by the one that corresponds to the first letter of your surname.
Missing Persons
A missing persons point is located on Watson Street - just off Peter Street. If you come across a missing person please contact the nearest event steward, official or police officer.
Official Photos
Event photos will be going live from the moment you pass a Marathon Photos Live photographer on the course. Don’t forget to check them out here when you finish and share your run number with your friends and family, and they can register to be notified as soon as your photos are available.
Runners Reward
You have exclusive access to Great Run Rewards powered by Endurance Zone. Great Run Rewards gives you access to a selection of fantastic discounts from our friends at Endurance Zone. Browse through hundreds of offers from a range of lifestyle, sport, fitness and outdoor brands.
Recycling
We’re constantly reviewing our sustainability and recycling practices and are making a concerted effort to reduce the amount of waste from plastic and other materials across the entire event.
We work with local partners to remove waste (plastic, cardboard, wooden pallets, medals and signage) from the run site. We reuse generic signage and keep using it for as long as we can, and our outdated signage is fully recycled. Clothing discarded by runners at the start of the race is collected and donated to local charities.
• We ask that you please use the recycling bins on site to discard any waste accordingly.
• As part of our sustainability drive, there will be no bottled water at the start area. Please arrive hydrated, or bring your own supply, which you may carry with you while you run.
• There will be a number of Aqua Pura water stations along the route (see map for details)
• Look out for our new on-course bottle collection points after each water station, and drink, drain and aim to help us recycle your Aqua Pura bottle.
• If you opt to bring your own standard, single-use plastic water bottle, please make sure you throw it in the clearly marked recycling bins that will be available in the start and finish area.
Have a happy & healthy run
Please talk to your doctor before the event if you have any long-term health conditions or any health concerns. Don’t run if you feel unwell or have been ill recently. If you experience heart palpitations, light headedness or dizziness, chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, excessive wheezing, or severe joint and muscle pain during or after your run, this can be a sign of a serious condition.
Seek advice on taking part in the event after a bout of flu or gastroenteritis. Don’t be tempted to start just because you’ve collected sponsorship to raise money for charity - staying fit and well is the most important thing.
Event day tips
Make sure you’re comfortable. Ideally, run in your shoes for around a month before your Great Run challenge.
Stay warm. Bring old clothes to wear on the start line and throw them away when you start (we donate these to charity).
Avoid chafing. Apply Vaseline to any areas prone to chafing – e.g. groin, upper thighs, under your arms, around your bra band or toes.
Protect your skin. Use weather resistant sun cream.
If the first few miles are crowded, don’t tire yourself out dodging in and out. Try to maintain a steady, even pace to help you enjoy the event.
When you finish, collect your bag ASAP. Put on some warm, dry clothing and don’t get cold. Take a drink as soon as you can after crossing the finish line.
Try to eat some starchy foods within two hours of finishing the event – your muscles can replace energy most efficiently during this post-run window.
Make sure you’re fully hydrated with water or squash before consuming any alcohol.
In the weeks leading up to the event, the colour of your urine is a useful indicator of hydration. Pale straw-coloured water is ideal.
During your run, drink when you need to. Don’t take big gulps if you’re not thirsty – you could put yourself in a condition called hyponatraemia where your body salts become diluted, possibly causing confusion and vomiting.
Make sure you know where the drink stations are on route. Water will be available, but only take a drink if you need one.
YOUR FINISH LINE SAVIOUR
Visit our Lucky Saint Caravan in the event village for refreshing post-race pints
THE OFFICIAL BEER OF
Built for the long run
JETSTREAM SHORTS
The lightweight, low-profile modular short and tight with ultrasonic-welded seams for next-to-skin comfort that goes the distance.
(shorts and tights sold separately)
British Heart Foundation is the official charity partner of the AJ Bell Great Run Series in 2025.
A massive thanks to all of our incredible runners taking on the AJ Bell Great Bristol Run. You’re helping us to get one step closer to a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases.
It’s not too late to join Team BHF and together, we can power lifesaving research to give people more time with the ones they love.
