Croft Road and Grandstand Road shut from 5am, the city centre and Worcester Bridge from 8am. Two car parks close from Friday night. Full list and times.
More than 40 Worcester streets close on Sunday 13 September for the Sutcliffe & Co Worcester City 10K and Half Marathon. The first closures go in at 5am and the last of them lift at 4pm.
Two city centre car parks shut before that, from 10pm on Friday 11 September.
The organiser, Events of the North, has published the full closure schedule agreed with Worcester City Council. It says more than 6,000 competitors are expected across the two races. (Events of the North, Worcester City Runs 2026 road closures, PDF)
When each area closes
Every junction with a closed road also closes.
| Area | Roads | Closed | Reopens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start and finish | Croft Road and Netherton Court (via Hive bollards), Grandstand Road | 05:00 | 16:00 |
| City centre | Castle Street, Farrier Street, The Butts, Hood Street, Angel Row, Angel Place, Foregate Street, The Cross, Broad Street, Deansway, High Street, St Swithin's Street, Mealcheapen Street (Corn Market), New Street, Friar Street, College Street, Quay Street, South Quay | 08:00 | 12:30 |
| Riverside north | North Parade, North Quay and Dolday, All Saints Road | 08:00 | 13:30 |
| Worcester Bridge | Eastbound and westbound | 08:00 | 13:30 |
| West of the river | A44 up to the junction with Bromwich Road | 08:00 | 11:30 |
| West of the river | Hylton Road | 08:00 | 11:15 |
| West of the river | Henwick Road, Oldbury Road, Comer Gardens, Laugherne Road, Comer Road, Fern Road, Himbleton Road | 08:30 | 11:15 |
| Diglis | Severn Street, King Street, Princes Drive | 08:30 | 12:45 |
| Diglis | Portland Walk, Mill Street, Diglis Road, Basin Road, Diglis Dock Road, Navigation Road, Diglis Bridge | 08:30 | 13:00 |
The streets west of the river reopen first, at 11:15 and 11:30. The city centre follows at 12:30. Croft Road and Grandstand Road are the last to reopen, at 4pm, because the finish and the athletes’ village are there.
The car parks close on Friday night
This is the part most likely to catch people out, because it starts two days before the race.
- Cattle Market Car Park: closed completely from 10pm on Friday 11 September until 5pm on Sunday 13 September. It is the athletes’ village.
- Croft Road Car Park: part closure from 10pm on Friday 11 September to 10pm on Saturday 12 September, then a full closure from 10pm on Saturday until 6pm on Sunday.
The organiser says “there are a number of town centre car parks that will be open on the day”. (Worcester City Runs FAQs)
Do not leave a car on the route
The organiser is explicit about this. Its guidance for residents and businesses says: “Cars left on the race route when the road closures go in place will receive a fine.”
If you park on any of the streets in the table above, move the car before the closure time listed. For the city centre that means before 8am on the Sunday. For Croft Road and Grandstand Road it means before 5am.
Access for emergency services is maintained throughout, and the organiser says it will restore access elsewhere “when it is safe to do so”. A diversion map will be published on roadworks.org, which now redirects to one.network, on the day of the event.
The riverside paths on both sides of Worcester Bridge stay open, but they are part of the route, so expect runners on them.
The races themselves
The event runs across two days.
- Saturday 12 September: Paula’s Families on Track at the Racecourse grounds, wave one at 11am, wave two at 12.30pm
- Sunday 13 September: junior races at 8.45am, the 10K at 9.15am, the half marathon at 9.40am
All races start and finish on Croft Road. Entry prices are £29.50 for the 10K, £39.50 for the half marathon, £8 for juniors and £45 for Families on Track, with a £2 discount for UK Athletics club members. Entries close at midnight on 9 September 2026, or earlier if a race sells out. (Worcester City Runs, entry information and FAQs)
The event’s charity partner is Acorns Children’s Hospice, which the organiser says has received more than £50,000 from the runs. (Worcester City Runs)
What it means for you
If you live inside the loop, plan to be on foot for the morning. The city centre is sealed from 8am to 12:30pm and Worcester Bridge is shut in both directions from 8am to 1:30pm, so crossing the river by car in the middle of the morning will not be straightforward.
Three practical things to do this week:
- If your car normally sits on one of the listed streets, work out where you will put it on the Saturday night.
- If you have a Sunday morning appointment in the city centre or at Diglis, check the reopening time in the table before you set off.
- If you were relying on Croft Road or Cattle Market car parks that weekend, book something else. Both are gone from Friday night.
Residents and businesses with specific concerns are asked to contact the organiser at info@eventsofthenorth.com.
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