The Great Manchester Run takes place this weekend and is expected to be one of the biggest running events of the year.
It will take place on Sunday, September 26 and will last from the early morning to the late afternoon.
The event allows participants to run either a half marathon or 10k through the heart of the city.
And it is the first time the run has taken place since May 2019 - after it was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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With tens of thousands of participants and spectators involved in the event, the streets are expected to be crowded.
Live music from local acts will also be played throughout the day to keep everyone's energy running high.
Here's everything you need to know about the Great Manchester Run this year.
Wave start times for the race
Participants in the race will be assigned a wave to indicate the time they will set off at throughout the day.
The classification for each wave has been designated for all the different types of people participating in the event.
From junior runners to elites, the designated wave you're in will start at different times throughout the day to keep everything running smoothly.
The different waves this year are the pink wave for health marathon runners, the elite wave (marked in blue) plus orange, white, and green for different 10k runners.
Pink wave
Assembly: 8am
Start: 8.30am
Elite wheelchair
Start: 9am
Elite wave
Women start: 11.15am
Men start: 11.30am
Junior wave
Assembly: 9.05am
Start: 9.25am
Mini wave
Assembly: 10am
Start: 10.20am
Orange wave
Assembly: 11am
Start: 11.30am
White wave
Assembly: 11.30am
Start: 12am
Green wave
Assembly: 12pm
Start: 12.30pm
The route map for 10km and half marathon
The route will be undertaken by around 15,000 participants alone as they run through key points in the heart of the city centre.
The 10k route will allow participants to take in the view of Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium, the Imperial War Museum at Salford Quays, and The Lowry.
The half marathon route takes runners past both iconic football stadiums, joining the 10k route in running past the Coronation Street set in Salford Quays and Beetham Tower, the 47-storey skyscraper that will mark the finish line.
The finish line will be crossed at Deansgate to a cheering crowd there to see participants complete their challenge for the year.
10k route
The 10k run will start on Portland Street and move through the Mancunian Way until it passes the Manchester Unite Football Ground.
Runners will loop back on themselves via Warren Bruce Road and pass the Imperial War Museum as they make their way back for the second half of the route.
As they head back to Whitworth Street, they will turn off onto Deansgate where the finish line will be ready and waiting.
Half marathon route
The half marathon route will start similarly to the 10k on Portland street, however, as they make their way to Mancunian Way, instead of going straight down Chester Road, they'll turn off onto the A57 and make their way towards Manchester Picadilly train station.
Going past the train station, the half marathon runners will move onto Ashton Old Road and start looping back around the Manchester City Football Ground from Nexen Tyre foot bridge onto Alan Turing Way.
On the first loop back, runners will go past Manchester Met university and move onto a similar path as the 10k route towards Manchester United Football Ground via Chester Road and eventually onto Warren Bruce Road.
From this point, the half marathon runners will be taking the last leg of the journey past the Imperial War Museum towards the finish line on Deansgate via Chester Road.
Road closures
Many roads will close this weekend as the city gets ready to welcome back the Great Manchester Run.
However, some road closures will come into effect a day earlier.
Your weekend commute will most likely be affected by the road closures if you're travelling through the city centre, make sure to plan your journey ahead to avoid any issues.
For a full list of the streets being closed at different times throughout the weekend, check here .
Weather forecast for the event
The Great Manchester Run is lucky this year as the weather will be quite pleasant and shows very little chance of rain.
With an early morning start, participants in the event will be happy to know that while the sky will be draped in clouds, the temperature will be pretty warm at 15C starting at 7am.
As we progress into the morning, the temperature will increase steadily reaching 16C at 10am and will reach as high as 19C by 1pm.
There will also be some sunny intervals throughout the early afternoon to brighten up everyone's run and keep the energy active.
Temperatures will peak mid-afternoon at 4pm, reaching a generous 20C before starting to dip to 17C into the evening.
