With places proving popular, event organisers encourage runners to sign up in September to take advantage of reduced early-bird entry costs

Organisers of the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon are encouraging runners who want to be on the start line next April to sign up and secure their place before the end of September in order to benefit from reduced early-bird entry fees.

Taking place on April 19, the event - described by organisers as “the UK’s flattest, fastest and friendliest marathon” - is to feature an increase in the number of places to 12,500, while a British-only prize fund will again be up for grabs. It starts and finishes near Old Trafford, home of Manchester United Football Club, and attracts many with a course that features just 54m elevation gain.

Early-bird places are priced at £43 for affiliated runners and £45 for unaffiliated runners and wheelchair entries. Runners who don’t wish to cover the full marathon distance can sign up for the two-leg half/half, the four-leg team relay or the corporate relay entry, sponsored by MLP Solicitors. The early-bird entry fees for those events are £75 per team for the two-leg and £120 for the four-leg. All finishers will receive a medal and ASICS technical t-shirt.

"Places to the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon have been going fast and anyone thinking about signing up should do so before the end of the month in order to benefit from the early-bird entry fees," said race director Simon Hill.

After September the cost to enter will increase. For runners entering between October 1, 2014 and January 31, 2015, the entry fees will go up by £5 for individual runners, so to £48 for affiliated runners and £50 for unaffiliated runners, as well as to £50 for wheelchair entries. For the two-leg relay team entries the fee will go up by £10 in this time period to £85 and by £20 to £140 for four-leg relay teams.

From February 1, 2015, the fees will go up by another £5 for individual runners and wheelchair entries, an additional £10 for two-leg relay teams and an additional £20 for four-leg relay teams.

As well as the British-only prize fund there are three time bonuses on offer to UK-registered runners only – £10,000 for the top male and female who clock under 2:10 or 2:20 respectively, £3000 for the top male and female who dip under 2:15 and 2:15 respectively and £500 for all who go sub-2:20 for men and sub-2:30 for women. While time bonuses are not cumulative, they are in addition to the cash prize fund.

At this year's event the top four men, led by Andi Jones with a course record 2:16:55, all broke the 2:20 mark, while Emily Wicks won the women’s 2014 title in 2:38:21, also a course record.

"The British-only prize fund and the time bonuses are guaranteed to attract a top quality field to Manchester in April and it’s also the perfect course for beginners, charity runners and athletes seeking a PB or qualifying time," added Hill.

» For further information and to enter, see greatermanchestermarathon.com