Project summary

Widely regarded as the largest mass participation event on the roads of Northern Ireland, the Belfast City Marathon hosts over 17,000 runners, relay participants and wheelchair competitors every May Day (*as of 2019 the first Sunday in May). Since 2015, we have ensured the smooth operation of the flagship event through the provision of traffic management services.

Working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including Belfast City Marathon, Athletics NI and PSNI, we plan and manage the 26.2-mile route to guarantee the safety of competitors while minimising disruption to traffic/road users.

We also deliver traffic management for the annual Belfast City Half Marathon in September. Now in its fifth year, the 13.1-mile event facilitates approximately 4,000 participants.

The detail

Our traffic management programme begins long before the 17,000+ competitors toe the start line, with pre-event planning occurring months in advance. Our experienced team liaises with all stakeholders, including the PSNI, and is central to the production of a Traffic Management Plan which features detailed information regarding the proposed temporary traffic management layout for the event, together with project timelines and contingency arrangements.

On the ground, our personnel utilising a fleet of high visibility vehicles, implement all traffic management operations such as the setup of traffic controls, on-site management of the traffic controls and removal of traffic controls post event.

We also provide, erect and remove all necessary traffic management infrastructure, inclusive of cones and advanced warning signs while we supply and operate ‘Variable Message Signs’ (VMS) that have

the capacity to be remotely controlled. Upon completion of the event, we provide a comprehensive evaluation report, outlining any incidents, together with recommendations for improving traffic management at future races.