Manchester Marathon

The UK's second-largest marathon, held in April and billed as flat and friendly, which makes it the obvious British alternative to a spring ballot race abroad. The 2027 race is on April 18. For runners already in the UK there is no flight to book and no foreign race-week logistics to manage. It suits runners who want a big-race atmosphere and plenty of company at every pace in the spring. The trade-off is British April weather, which can bring anything from a cool, still morning to wind and showers, so it pays to set a goal range rather than a single target time.