It's that time of year again with thousands of runners set to take to the streets on Sunday for the Great Manchester Run .

First staged in 2003, it is Europe’s biggest 10k and the leading running event in the region.

This year it is celebrating its 14th birthday, and will welcome home its 300,000 finisher with that lucky runner winning a trip to the Great Ethiopian Run in November next year.

So when and where does it start?

The start line is at the bottom of Portland Street.

Runners are split into colour categories via their race number and set off in 'waves.'

The faster your estimated time, the earlier your start wave.

There are orange, white, blue, green and pink waves.

England manager Roy Hodgson is the race's honorary starter and will sound the klaxon to send the first wave of runners, including the elite competitors, on their way at 11:37am.

The pink wave is the last to depart at 1:30pm.

What is the route?

From Portland Street the 10 kilometre route, just over six miles, takes runners out from the city centre to Salford Quays and back.

Runners head out along Chester Road pasisng famous landmarks including United's Old Trafford ground, The Lowry, the Imperial War Museum and the Coronation Street set before heading back and finishing in front of the Beetham Tower on Deansgate.

You can read a full list of the road closures here .

Roads begin re-opening at 3:30pm and organisers warn anyone still running at this time may have to complete the race using footpaths and pavements.

Is it on TV?

Yes, the event is broadcast live on BBC Two with coverage starting at from 11am, finishing at 1pm.

There is a highlights show, also on BBC Two, at 6pm.

(Image: Sean Hansford)

Who's taking part?

Over the years the event has featured many of the greatest distance runners in the world including the legendary Haile Gebrselassie, Jo Pavey, Paul Tergat, Tirunesh Dibaba, Sonia O’Sullivan.

This year Olympic gold medallists Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba will lead the field of elite performers.

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As always, a huge number of celebrities are taking part, including world champion boxer Anthony Crolla who will be leading his Crolla's Army - a dozen runners with their own reasons for running who have trained with him and will run alongside him.

Coronation Street stars Tina O'Brien and Jack P Shepherd lead a long list of actors raising money for charity.

How much will it raise and where does the money go?

The event is expected to raise in excess of £6 million for good causes.

The biggest charity team is from the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital Charity with a record turnout of more than 2,000 entrants. The charity has raised £860,000 in the last decade and is hoping to top the £1m mark in 2016.

The largest non-charity team is from The University of Manchester which has 1,100 staff and students all sporting the university's purple colours.



Meanwhile, a record number of 209 corporate teams, represented by some 3,000 runners, have entered the Business Challenge.

Is it just for adults?

Yes. The minimum age of entrants is 18.

However there is a Junior and Mini Great Manchester Run which is being held outside Manchester City's Etihad Campus on Saturday. Thousands of youngsters will run, walk or jog and play their own part in the fundraising campaign.

Open to children aged between three and 15, all runners will receive their very own running t-shirt, a goodie-filled finisher’s pack and a medal.

This year, all participants will wear the Number 1 bib to pay tribute to Kirsty Howard, who took part in every Junior Great Manchester Run before her death last year at the age of 20 last October.