Everything you need to know about Manchester’s Great CityGames

The Great CityGames returns to Manchester on Friday with a whole host of top names set to compete.

Deansgate and Albert Square will host the one-day event as thousands of spectators line the streets to watch some of the world’s best strut their stuff.

We’ve covered everything you need to know below…

What are the Great City Games?

The Great City Games are an athletics event like no other.

Instead of the world’s top athletes competing in packed out stadiums, they compete on the streets of a major city.

Manchester and Newcastle/Gateshead host the competition twice annually ahead of the Great Manchester Run and the Great North Run respectively.

Friday’s event will take place across two venues in Manchester city centre.

A four-lane sprint track will be erected along the Deansgate area, while Albert Square will play host to the long jump and pole vaulting events.

You can watch the event live on BBC from 6pm on Friday 18 May 2018.

Who’ll be competing?

The games have a precedent for attracting some of the great and good of world athletics.

Usain Bolt and David Rudisha are just two of the names to have competed in the event since it was first run in May 2009.

This year will see Allyson Felix – the joint-most decorated female in Olympic history – take to the track for the 150m sprint.

She won the event in 2013 after clocking a time of 16.36s, then a world best for the distance.

2012 110m gold-medalist Aries Merritt, five-time Paralympic champion Jason Smyth and Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou are also confirmed to compete.

British interest

Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Manchester for the evening event. And they’ll have plenty of home favourites to cheer on, too.

Two of England’s Commonwealth Game gold-medal winners headline the British challenge.

Richard Kilty and Harry Aikines Aryeetey both won gold on the Gold Coast in the 4x100m relay.

They’ll compete in the 100m and 150m events respectively alongside names including Solomon Bockarie and David Lima.

Cheriece Hylton and Bianca Williams will bid to usurp the aforementioned Felix in the women’s 150m sprint.

Meanwhile, British 100m champion Alicia Barrett will go alongside Yasmin Miller in the hurdles final on what could be a medal-laden night for GB.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing