Bupa Great Manchester Fun Run 2009, Manchester, 17th May 2009

The Bupa Great Manchester Fun Run 2009 will take place in and around Manchester town centre on Sunday 17th May 2009.

The Bupa Great Manchester Run was first staged six years ago in 2003. This charity fund raising event is one of a number of charity runs set up by Bupa with similar events taking place in Sheffield, London, Sunderland, Gateshead/Newcastle, Portsmouth, as well as Edinburgh and Dublin.

The run, at 10,000 meters long, is challenging enough to attract some of the worlds best distance runners. However, the race is very popular with a wide range of enthusiasts. This means that you should expect to see runners with a wide range of skills and abilities including a generous selection of runners from the celebrity world. This year a massive 33,000 participants are expected to participate.

The course the runners will take includes some of Manchester’s finest tourist attractions. Starting off in Portland Street, in central Manchester runners will travel south to the Manchester United Football Stadium (Old Trafford). Their journey continues past the Imperial War Museum North and Manchester Ship Canal before heading back into the city and the finish line on Deansgate.

The route is likely to be popular with spectators cheering on their favourite runners, as well as doing a bit of celebrity spotting.

Tickets for participating in the run have sold out, although you can obtain tickets when you book accommodation with certain hotels. Visit the Visit Manchester website for details of the hotels and offers available.

Full race details are available for the event website, www.greatrun.org