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Adidas Manchester Marathon · 2026

Target 4:30

44g
Carbs/hr
200g
Total carbs
75mg
Caffeine
8
Doses
18mg
Sodium/hr
80mg
Total sodium

⚠ Coach-grade warnings

  • At your target carb rate (44 g/hr), single-source gels saturate the SGLT1 transporter on the second-half pushes. Adding a dual-source gel like SiS Beta Fuel, Precision PF30, or Maurten would improve absorption and reduce GI risk.
  • The Altrincham climb at km 19–21 (+7.6m over two km) followed by a sharp −11.5m descent to km 22 is the only notable relief on a famously flat course. Shorten your stride on the climb; let gravity work on the descent rather than over-striding.

Pre-race note

Eat breakfast 3 hours before — porridge, banana, honey. Hydrate well the day before; sip water in the start pen on Bridgewater Way but don't overload. Bag drop on Wharfside Way closes 15 minutes before your wave start; bag is transported to the Oxford Rd / Booth St junction for collection. Start conservative through the Deansgate send-off — bank the easy kilometres for the back end.

Race-day stream

  1. 1.6km

    Deansgate Interchange — Adidas Supporter Send-Off

    Big screen, DJ truck, the largest early-race crowd. Don't let it pull you out too fast.

    • Cheer zone
  2. 4.5km

    SiS GO Isotonic

    First gel. Sip with water at Cornbrook.

    • SiS GO Isotonic — First gel just before Cornbrook (km 4.8). Sip a half cup of water at the station.
    • Gel
  3. 4.8km

    Cornbrook — Water Station 1

    First on-course water. Two cups: one for the gel, one to pace the next block.

    • Water
    • Toilet
  4. 9km

    SiS GO Isotonic

    Second gel. Long straight ahead.

    • SiS GO Isotonic — Second gel through Stretford. Past 10km your pace is locked in.
    • Gel
  5. 10km

    10km timing mat

    First split. Live tracking on for friends and family.

    • Timing chip
  6. 10.5km

    Stretford — Water Station 2

    Top up. Course flattens through Stretford.

    • Water
    • Toilet
  7. 13.5km

    SiS GO Isotonic

    Third gel before the steady phase begins.

    • SiS GO Isotonic — Third gel before West Timperley. Last loo opportunity at km 14.9 if you need it.
    • Gel
  8. 14.9km

    West Timperley — Water Station 3 (HIGH5 Aqua Orange on course)

    Two cups, then go. Last loo before the climb.

    • Water
    • Toilet
  9. 18km

    SiS GO Isotonic

    Fourth gel. Halfway timing mat is just after Altrincham.

    • SiS GO Isotonic — Fourth gel before the Altrincham climb. Halfway timing mat is just after the top.
    • Gel
  10. 19.3km

    Christie Steel Drum Band — Altrincham turnaround

    Steel drums at the climb. Use the rhythm to reset your cadence.

    • Music
  11. 21.1km

    Halfway timing mat — Altrincham

    Target split 2:14:24. If ahead of pace, ease back — the second half punishes early aggression.

    • Timing chip
  12. 22.5km

    SiS Beta Fuel

    First high-carb dual-source — slow sip, take with water at Sale.

    • SiS Beta Fuel — First high-carb dual-source on the return from Altrincham. Slow sip, take with water at km 24.3 Sale.
    • Gel
  13. 24.3km

    Sale — Water Station 5 (HIGH5 Aqua Orange on course)

    Two cups. Past 60% — look strong even if you don't feel it.

    • Water
    • Toilet
  14. 27km

    SiS GO Isotonic

    Stay topped up; the wall test starts soon.

    • SiS GO Isotonic — Stay topped up before the wall section. Stretford return water at km 29.9.
    • Gel
  15. 28.9km

    Runna Cheer Zone — Mile 18

    Loudest point on the back half. Wall territory begins — let the noise carry you.

    • Cheer zone
  16. 31km

    SiS Beta Fuel

    Second high-carb dual-source — push through the slow zone.

    • SiS Beta Fuel — Second high-carb dual-source — push through the slow zone. Runna Cheer Zone is right here.
    • Gel
  17. 35km

    SiS GO + Caffeine 75mg

    Caffeine kicker — past the 55% threshold, give yourself the lift.

    • SiS GO + Caffeine 75mg — Caffeine kicker just before Jet2 Runway. Past the 55% threshold — give yourself the lift.
    • Gel
  18. 35.4km

    Jet2 Runway — Mile 22

    Mediterranean beats, juice bar, big crowd. Six kilometres to go.

    • Cheer zone
  19. 40.1km

    Sportograf Photo Point — Hulme / City Centre approach

    2km to go. Run tall. You'll want this photo.

    • Photo
  20. 42.2km

    FINISH — Oxford Road, University of Manchester

    You did it. Walk the chute, hydrate, find the Oxford Rd / Booth St junction for bag drop.

    • Oxford Road — Final approach — Packed crowds on both sides for the final 200m. Loudest point on the course.
    • Finish
    • Cheer zone

Pacing

  • 0–5kmeasy
    Pace 6:31/kmElapsed 32:34RPE 4–5

    Comfortable — full sentences, breathing easy

    Settle out of Bridgewater Way and through the Deansgate send-off — the crowd will pull you fast. Resist.

    • Adidas Supporter Send-Off — Deansgate Interchange km 1.6
  • 5–10kmeasy
    Pace 6:30/kmElapsed 1:05:04RPE 4–5

    Comfortable — full sentences, breathing easy

    Find rhythm through Cornbrook and out to Stretford. Course flattens — bank the easy effort.

  • 10–15kmeasy
    Pace 6:29/kmElapsed 1:37:34RPE 4–5

    Comfortable — full sentences, breathing easy

    Long straight to West Timperley. Eyes ahead, shoulders relaxed. Last loo at km 14.9 if you need it.

  • 15–20kmsteady
    Pace 6:24/kmElapsed 2:09:36RPE 6–7

    Controlled — a few words, breathing audible

    Lift to steady. The Altrincham climb starts here — gradual rise to km 21. Don't fight it; shorten your stride.

    • Altrincham climb km 19–21 (+7.6m) — the only relief on a famously flat course
  • 20–25kmsteady
    Pace 6:24/kmElapsed 2:41:38RPE 6–7

    Controlled — a few words, breathing audible

    Steel drums at the Altrincham turnaround — use the rhythm to reset cadence. Sharp descent to km 22; let gravity work.

    • Halfway timing mat at Altrincham (km 21.0975) — target split 2:14:24
  • 25–30kmsteady
    Pace 6:24/kmElapsed 3:13:40RPE 6–7

    Controlled — a few words, breathing audible

    Hold steady on the return through Sale. Don't surge — the wall test is coming.

  • 30–35kmsteady
    Pace 6:24/kmElapsed 3:45:42RPE 6–7

    Controlled — a few words, breathing audible

    Wall territory. Trust the fuelling. Runna Cheer Zone at km 28.9 is engineered for exactly this — let the noise carry you.

    • Runna Cheer Zone — km 28.9, the loudest point on the back half
  • 35–40kmpush
    Pace 6:13/kmElapsed 4:16:48RPE 8–9

    Hard — single words only, working for every km

    Lift again. Jet2 Runway at km 35.4 — six kilometres home. Past 38, it's just a parkrun.

    • Jet2 Runway — km 35.4, Mediterranean beats and big crowd
  • 40–42kmpush
    Pace 6:13/kmElapsed 4:30:18RPE 8–9

    Hard — single words only, working for every km

    Empty the tank. Oxford Road crowds are walls of sound — everything you have left.

    • Sportograf photo at km 40.1 — run tall