Temporary road closures for Williams BMW Rochdale Half Marathon and 10K

Residents are being warned about road closures on Sunday 3 October when Williams BMW Rochdale Half Marathon, 10K and Fun Run returns.

Race routes are designed to minimise disruption to the road network whilst taking in some of the region’s best open spaces - including Hollingworth Lake in Littleborough, Broadfield Park, Kingsway Business Park, the Stanney Brook Corridor and Rochdale Canal.

Motorists are advised to make alternative arrangements in advance if they need to exit any of the closed areas by car on the day. Diversions will be signposted and plans will be in place for access by the emergency services. 

Between 10am and 3pm sections of St Alban’s Street, Mere Street, Tweedale Street, Miall Street, Durham Street and Milkstone Road will be closed. Between 10.30am and 12pm a section of Oldham Road will be closed and The Esplanade near Touchstones and Rochdale Town Hall will be closed from 6am to 6pm.

Canal Street, Hollingworth Road and Lake Bank in Littleborough will be closed from 11am to 1pm.

Bus services run as normal, however some stops may be temporarily suspended so bus users are advised to plan their journey ahead.

The half marathon leaves along the Esplanade and runs the edge of Broadfield Park, before heading through Deeplish to the Rochdale Canal at Oldham Road Basin. The route then heads past Kingsway Business Park and Smithy Bridge along the canal.

Close to the Waterside Restaurant the route leaves the tow path and heads up Hollingworth Road towards Hollingworth Lake, making a clockwise loop of the lake. It then returns down Hollingworth Road and back on to the canal.

The race retraces its outward route from the town hall until it reaches Broadfield Park, where runners will go through the park, making a loop of the bandstand before re-joining the Esplanade for the final sprint to the finish line.

The 10K route has slightly changed just for this year, due to work taking place at Kingsway Business Park. Starting on the Esplanade, the route turns on to the path running alongside Manchester Road until it gets to St. Alban’s Street, where it turns left.

In a small change to previous years continue along St. Alban’s Street to turn left in to Broadfield Park for a clockwise loop around the bandstand, before turning back on to St. Alban’s Street and left on to Broadfield Stile. Cross Drake Street and follow Mere Street to a left turn on to Tweedale Street, then right on to Milkstone Road, under the railway bridge and then left on to Miall Street and an immediate right on to Durham Street.

At the end of Durham Street, cross Oldham Road and join Rochdale Canal. At Kingsway, the route leaves the canal via a swing bridge and follows a cycle path to Michael Faraday Avenue. In another variation to the normal route, turn left and do a loop out and back along Michael Faraday Avenue before continuing along Michael Faraday Avenue towards Sir Isaac Newton Way, again completing an out and back to close to the junction with the other end of Michael Faraday Avenue.

Back at the cycle path coming off Michael Faraday Avenue, retrace the route back to the canal and then Oldham Road, passing under Oldham Road on the return. The route is then retraced to Broadfield Park, where an anticlockwise circuit of the bandstand is completed before a run through the park, past the statue of John Bright and on to the finish on the Esplanade.

Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council said: “This is our sixth year and it’s great to be back. We are expecting more than a thousand runners to be taking part, raising money for charity and this event has raised tens of thousands for good causes over the years so I do hope residents will line the routes and show them their support. These road closures are in place to ensure the safety of our runners, volunteers and the public. We will re-open the roads as soon as it is safe to do so. I also want to say a huge thank you and good luck to everyone taking part.”

The deadline to enter is midnight on Monday 27 September and this year there will be no on the day or day before entries available. Springhill Hospice is the official charity for the event.

The event is co-ordinated by Rochdale Harriers, Middleton Harriers and Rochdale Triathlon Club supported by Rochdale Borough Council.

Full details of the routes, including maps and a video are at rochdale.gov.uk/run