Marathon races near Longridge

The Adidas Manchester Marathon is a 26.2-mile road race through Greater Manchester, following a fast, flat course. It ranks as the UK's second largest marathon and one of Europe's biggest, drawing participants globally. The flat course appeals to regular runners aiming for a personal best. Elite athletes and first-time marathoners also start on the same line. Mancunian support lines the route, a distinct local feature of the race.

The Manchester Marathon is known as the UK's flattest marathon course, featuring only 54 metres of climb. This Adidas-sponsored road marathon takes place annually in Greater Manchester since 2012, covering the full 26 miles 385 yards. The current route begins on Trafford Way and concludes on Oxford Road, passing through Chorlton, Hulme, Old Trafford, Stretford, Sale, Timperley, Altrincham, Urmston, Salford, and Manchester city centre. Previous routes ended at Old Trafford cricket ground and included Manchester United’s stadium, while the current route incorporates a three-mile city-centre loop. Over 21,000 runners completed a recent edition, indicating its status as a large mass-participation event. The race has a notable historical detail: three editions were found to be 380 metres short, leading UK Athletics to invalidate those times. This measurement error was attributed to the calibrated bicycle wheel used for course marking and has since been rectified.