QUAY XL – 15K

Description

The Quays running tour is a fantastic way to explore a magnitude of Manchester’s finest sights and experience the fascinating areas surrounding the heart of Manchester’s city centre.

The Quays tour will begin with a ‘must see of Manchester’ route, where we will cover ground by seeking out some of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks, stunning architecture and hidden gems. Our trail will wind it’s way through the city streets, passing as we go, a perfect combination of all things ‘Manchester’. If your motivation for running is to see the spectrum of what Manchester has to offer then this is definitely the tour for you!

Having explored the heart of central Manchester, our route will take us along the cobbled banks of the Bridgewater Canal and out towards Manchester’s iconic ‘Theatre of Dreams’, Old Trafford. The imposing stadium, home to Manchester United Football club, can be seen in all it’s greatness as we tread the outer city canal banks. Emerging from the canal pathways, we will pass The Hotel Football (which is the enterprising gem of some of the Class of ‘92 players) before taking a circular route around the momentous stadium itself.

From here, our tour will continue out towards Salford Quays, which was previously the site of Manchester Docks; one of first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom following the dockyard closure in 1982. As we pace across the The Urban Waterside redevelopment, The ‘Quays’, you will have the opportunity to explore several iconic structures of Manchester’s historical roots. On approaching the Quays, your attention will be drawn to the 3 silver, illuminating shards of the Imperial War Museum. The museum occupies a spectacular site overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal and is dedicated to exploring the impact of modern conflict on people and society.

Crossing over the Lowry Millenium Bridge and the Manchester Ship Canal, our gaze will be set upon the magnificent, perforated steel structure of the Lowry Theatre; named after the Salfordian artist L.S Lowry. The Lowry (or Salford’s Guggenheim, as it has been referred to) has a 2,000 seat theatre capacity and also houses over 400 of L.S Lowry’s timeless paintings.

Finally, before setting back on our canal bank tour to the city centre, we will cover the ground around the Quays and The Manchester Ship Canal to explore the urban regeneration project and the community arts exhibits and sculpture trail.