Everything you need to know about the 2017 ABP Southampton marathon and half marathon route

The event is set to bring 10,000 runners and 30,000 spectators to the city on Sunday.

It's a lot to take in, but we've put together everything runners and spectators need to know right here.

• READ: Avoid these streets if you're not involved in the Southampton marathon >>>

HOW TO GET THERE

• The nearest railway station is Southampton Central.
• The majority of council car parks will be open from 6am, with Westquay parking now open 24 hours a day.
• First bus are also offering free travel for marathon runners with proof of their race number on City Red services 2, 7, 10 and 11 as well as First X4, X5, 6, 8 and 12.
• The race village is situated on West Marlands Road, alongside the central library and O2 Guildhall l Races start from either Palmerston Park – marathon and 10k – or Above Bar Street – half.

PARKING

RUNNING ROUTE

THOUSANDS of marathon and half marathon runners will be laced up and stretched out and ready to go.

The full marathon runners will be lined up in Palmerston Park from 9am, with runners for the half distance getting on their marks on Above Bar Street an hour later.

They will race up to Archers Road and through Southampton Common past Cemetery Lake. The route will see them cross The Avenue and round past the University of Southampton Highfield Campus and along Granby Grove, Upper Shaftesbury Avenue and Welbeck Avenue, crossing the six-mile marker as they approach the A3035 across the River Itchen.

Crossing that, they will then run through Riverside Park, down Manor Farm Road and Whitworth Crescent and Whitworth Road before joining the A3024 and crossing the Northam Bridge.

Runners will then pass St Mary’s stadium, running down towards the Itchen Bridge where they will cross and then go back on themselves towards Canute Road. Turning left towards Briton Street, they will see the 12-mile marker before joining the High Street up towards Hoglands Park.

Palmerston Park is the next stop before joining Above Bar Street for the half marathon runners to cross the finish line, with 26 mile competitors going through the park around Above Bar Street to begin the course again.

MARATHON FACTFILE

• Altogether, 9,500 runners will take part, including 1,500 for the full marathon and 5,000 for the half marathon. Some 2,000 runners will enter the 10k, with another 1,000 entering into the smallest race on the day, the fun run.
• Milemakers, who are the volunteers providing support at each mile throughout the course, are comprised of more than 30 community groups with 850 taking part.
• One hundred schools from the county are being represented with runners and milemakers.
• Celebrity runners include Southampton FC legend Matt Le Tissier, who is running on behalf of Ronald McDonald house, a charity which provides accommodation for families with children in hospital.
• Other famous names who will be pounding the city streets on Sunday include a trio of Olympians Dee Caffari MBE, Helena Lucas MBE and Sarah Ayton OBE.
• Mayor Councillor Cathie McEwing will be starting the races, with Southampton City Councillors Satvir Kaur and Christopher Hammond running the 10k.
• Each runner will bring with them an average of 2.2 spectators, based on figures from the past two years.
• The oldest runner is 73 years old, with the youngest taking part is just 11 years old.
• Half of the runners are coming from Southampton, with 25 per cent coming from either Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Winchester.
• Of those participants travelling to the city for the races, 34 are flying.
• The winners of the half marathon and 10k from 2015 are back competing for titles after takign a break from the races in 2016.
• Around £500,000 is expected to be raised for various charities by fundraising runners over the last three years.
• Entry to the 2018 Southampton Marathon opens at 7pm on Sunday.
• First Bus and their City Red service are offering free travel for runners on the day.
• Car parks will be open from 6am, with Westquay car parks open 24 hours.
• The last 10k runner is expected to take one-and-a-half hours to complete the race.
• Up to 25,000 spectators could take to the streets to cheer the runners on.
• Last year there were 650 milemakers, with 200 more featuring this year.
• The race will be taking in city landmarks such as the Itchen Bridge, St Mary’s Stadium, the city’s historic Bargate and the QE2 Anchor.

TIMETABLE

7am – The race village opens for runners to start getting ready for the main events

8.45am – The marathon runners have their warm-up and head to the start to line up and prepare to start

9am – Runners set off for the 26.95 marathon route from Palmerston Park

9.45am – Half marathon runners warm up and get ready to start the race

9.50am – Wheelchair half marathon race start 10.00am – The start of the half marathon

10.15am – Warm-up for the 10k race

10.30am – Runners set off for the 10k

11.10am – The first runner from the marathon is expected

12.00pm – The second lap for marathon runners closes

12.30pm – Award presentations for the winner 3pm – The last runners are expected for all races

4pm – Mile fun run 5pm – The race village closes

7pm – Sign up to ABP Southampton Marathon 2018

SPECTATORS

Up to 25,000 spectators are expected to line the streets in support of loved ones, friends and family.

A big screen will be up on Above Bar Street for onlookers to watch the action.

Other hotspots will be around Guildhall Square and the start in Palmerston Park.

Further away from the centre, the runners will also be passing St Mary's stadium and be going over the Itchen Bridge.

Both Southampton Common and Riverside Park are also likely to be popular places to cheer on the runners.

SPECTATORS

UP TO 25,000 spectators are expected to line the streets in support of loved ones, friends and family.

A big screen will be up on Above Bar Street for onlookers to watch the action.

Other hotspots will be around Guildhall Square and the start in Palmerston Park.

Further away from the centre, the runners will also be passing St Mary’s stadium and be going over the Itchen Bridge.

Both Southampton Common and Riverside Park are also likely to be popular places to cheer on the runners.

HEADPHONES

ANYONE not running for a prize is now allowed to wear headphones.

This is new for this year and means that if you are not competing for a podium place then you are allowed to wear earphones. If however you are aiming to be one of the fastest runners in your event then the Race rules do not allow the use of earphones or ipods.

Please be aware that whilst this is a closed-road race, earphones do limit the awareness of your surroundings – including other runners – and most importantly you’ll miss out on the route.

10K ROUTE

THE runners for the 10k will line up in the same starting spot as the marathon participants in Palmerston Park, ready to fire off on the route at 10.30am.

The route will take them down Above Bar Street and then up towards Southampton Common, before turning at Archers Road and heading back into the city.

Passing the three-kilometre mark as they brush Southampton Solent University, Mettricks will mark four kilometers on New Road.

Runners will then head towards Marine Parade before meeting runners from the full and half marathon, crossing the Itchen Bridge.

Looping round, runners from all three races will come back across the bridge towards the High Street, with 10k runners passing the eight-kilometre mark as they do so.

The penultimate marker will appear as runners head towards Hoglands Park, before rounding back on Above Bar Street to cross the finish line.