Registration for the Manchester Road Race Presented by Hartford HealthCare will open on September 1st, race officials announced.
Considered one of America’s oldest and most celebrated Thanksgiving Day runs, the annual road race will mark two milestone events this November when it welcomes Hartford HealthCare as its new Presenting Sponsor and celebrates its 90th running.
Held on a 4.737-mile loop course through Manchester’s central streets, the race starts at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov.26, 2026) on Main Street, in front of St James Church. More than 12,000 participants—-who ranged in ability from Olympians to costume-clad joggers—entered last year.
Online registration is available at www.manchesterroadrace.com. The entry fee is $32 for runners who sign up prior to 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sept. 30th. The entry fee increases thereafter to $37 on October 1st, to $40 on November 1st and to $42 on November 21st at 4:30 p.m. The field is limited to 14,000 runners.
Registration for the road race closes completely on November 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST. No entries will be accepted on the day of the race.
Runners will once again have the option either to pick up their bibs in person at no cost, or to have them delivered for a fee. The race committee has scheduled a number of events prior to the race when bibs can be picked up in person for no additional cost. Details about the dates and locations of bib distribution events, and the fee that is charged for delivery will be available starting Sept. 1st at www.manchesterroadrace.com.
The race committee is reminding entrants that there will not be bib pickup on the morning of the race.
“This is going to be a great year as we observe the 90th running of the road race and welcome Hartford HealthCare as our Presenting Sponsor,” said Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “We are expecting another large field, so we’re urging folks to register as early as possible,” he said.
Carta added that Rebuilding Together of Manchester and Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut will be the primary charitable beneficiaries of the unallocated proceeds from this year’s race.
Olympian Edwin Kurgat of Flagstaff, AZ won last year’s road race in the course record time of 20:54. Weini Kelati, an Olympic runner who also resides in Flagstaff, captured the women’s championship for a record fifth consecutive year.
The Manchester Road Race Presented by Hartford HealthCare is organized annually by approximately 400 volunteers of the Manchester Road Race Committee, with generous support from the Town of Manchester. More details are available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.