Don't be trapped this Sunday - residents and runners urged to plan for the Manchester Marathon

Residents and motorists are being urged to think about any journeys they make on Sunday when many roads will be closed to accommodate the Manchester Marathon.

About 28,000 runners and 42,000 spectators are expected on the 26.2 mile route which starts at White City Circle in Trafford. It heads south towards Old Trafford and then turns back to Manchester city centre before heading south again through Stretford, Sale, Timperley and Altrincham. The route then takes runners back towards Manchester, ending on Talbot Road close to Old Trafford cricket ground.

Officials will start closing most affected roads from 3am and begin re-opening roads from 2pm as the course clears. The last closed road is expected to be re-opened at 8pm through Chorlton and Old Trafford towards the end of the course.

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However, a stretch of Talbot Road at the finish line will be closed from 10am on Saturday and won't re-open until midnight on Sunday.

Transport officials have also set up a series of crossing points where cars can cross the route, but each one has specified times when they are in operation.

Officials have created an interactive Google map which shows the roads affected, closure times and details about each crossing point, so residents can plan ahead and avoid being trapped by the course. Bus services will also be impacted by the road closures.

Runners and spectators are being encouraged to use 'park and ride' schemes and Metrolink to get to the start line of parts of the course if possible.

Metrolink will be operating a six-minute frequency on the Altrincham line with more double trams and increased capacity on the network.

However, services are expected to be extremely