World News

Culture

 

British Queen celebrates

 

Today, over 30,000 runners are expected to flood the streets of Manchester for the city's annual marathon.

The UK's second-largest marathon kicked off at 8:55 am this morning from Old Trafford, embarking on a 26.2-mile journey through the city.

Runners will traverse various locales including Altrincham, Stretford, Chorlton, Castlefield, and Sale.

Several road closures are enforced in Greater Manchester from 3 am to 8 pm today, affecting both the marathon route and surrounding areas.

Notably, a segment of A56 Chester Road between Altrincham and Deansgate is closed to traffic.

Additionally, commuters are advised to allocate extra time for their journeys and utilize the city's tram network, the Metrolink, for transportation to and from the marathon.

The Manchester Marathon has been a staple event in April since 1908, with the current course commencing and concluding in Trafford.

Noted as the 'flattest' marathon race in the UK, it boasts a mere 54 meters of elevation.

However, recent editions of the marathon were tainted by controversy when it was discovered that the route was 380 meters short of a true marathon distance of 26 miles and 385 yards. Consequently, race times from 2013 to 2015 were invalidated by UK Athletics before the discrepancy was rectified for the 2016 edition.

Last year's marathon drew 24,000 participants and raised over £2 million for charity.