The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run will return on Sunday 23 May 2027 after a record 38,000 runners took to the streets of Manchester for the 2026 event.

The sold out May race was the biggest Great Manchester Run yet, with more than 150,000 supporters reported around the course and participants raising over £5 million for charity.

There was quality at the front of the 10K too. Ethiopia's Selemon Barega successfully defended his title in 27:37, finishing just two seconds ahead of Uruguay's Santiago Catrofe. Slovenia's Klara Lukan won the women's race in 30:58.

Britain's Amy Eloise Neale finished third in the women's race, while she and Marc Scott secured the UK Athletics 10K Road Championship titles. David Weir added another chapter to his remarkable Manchester record by claiming his tenth wheelchair title.

The Half Marathon produced British victories. Alex Durant of City of Sheffield AC won the men's race in 1:05:48, while Georgia Stanfield of Trentham RC took the women's title in 1:18:17.

For most of the 38,000 participants, the day was about personal targets, fundraising and experiencing one of Britain's biggest mass participation running events. The routes take runners through Manchester and past some of the city's best known landmarks before the finish on Deansgate.

Attention now moves to 2027, with both the 10K and Half Marathon returning on Sunday 23 May. The Junior and Mini Great Manchester Run will take place a day earlier at the Etihad Campus.

With the 2026 event selling out, runners considering Manchester next May have a useful indication of its continuing popularity.

After the biggest Great Manchester Run in its history, Manchester is preparing to fill its streets with runners and supporters all over again.

Entries are available via the runABC race hub here.

Image courtesy Great Run Company.