Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Half Marathons
Great North Run 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 13 September 2026
- Location
- Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields, UK
- Distance
- 13.1 mi / 21.1 km
Great North Run: 13 September 2026. Ballot, route, cut-off, a pace calculator.
Great North Run Race Timeline
3 days to go
Mileage is right down. Focus on sleep, hydration, and getting your kit and travel plan sorted rather than any last-minute training.
Great North Run 2026: quick answers
When is Great North Run 2026?
Great North Run 2026 takes place on Sunday, 13 September 2026, starting at 10:50am start, released in waves based on estimated finish time.
What time does Great North Run start?
Great North Run starts at 10:50am start, released in waves based on estimated finish time from Newcastle city centre.
Where does Great North Run start and finish?
Great North Run starts at Newcastle city centre and finishes at South Shields seafront.
How many miles is Great North Run?
Great North Run is 13.1 miles (21.1km).
How much elevation gain does Great North Run have?
Great North Run has approximately 430ft of total elevation gain. No — the Great North Run is hillier than most runners expect, with around 430ft (130m) of total elevation gain. The course starts with a fast downhill off the Tyne Bridge, but the main test comes on a sustained climb through miles 8-12 via Jarrow and Marsden Bank. None of the climbs are steep, but they're long. The final mile into South Shields, by contrast, is flat.
How much does Great North Run cost to enter?
The world's biggest half marathon, and consistently oversubscribed. Entry is via an annual public ballot (held in January) — recent entry fees for successful ballot places have been around £65-70, and always confirm current pricing on the official site.
How can I track a runner at Great North Run?
No dedicated live-tracking app is confirmed for this event — check the official Great Run site for updates closer to race day.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 13 September 2026
- Distance
- 13.1 miles / 21.1km
- Location
- Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields, UK
- Start Point
- Newcastle city centre
- Finish Point
- South Shields seafront
- Start time
- 10:50am start, released in waves based on estimated finish time
- Elevation gain
- 430 ft (131m)
- Surface
- Closed public roads, tarmac
- Cut-off time
- No fixed cut-off time — a sweep vehicle follows the back of the field as roads reopen, and you may be asked to finish on the pavement if you fall behind the main group.
- Age requirement
- Runners must be 17 or over on event day.
- Tracking app
- No dedicated live-tracking app is confirmed for this event — check the official Great Run site for updates closer to race day.
Direct Entry Summary
The world's biggest half marathon, and consistently oversubscribed. Entry is via an annual public ballot (held in January) — recent entry fees for successful ballot places have been around £65-70, and always confirm current pricing on the official site.
Ballot Policy
Ballot-only for public places, held every January for that September's race — demand is high and places aren't guaranteed. Charity places via partner charities are the main alternative if you miss out.
Great North Run Race Day Weather
Fetching today's forecast for race day…
Great North Run Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Newcastle city centre and finishing at South Shields seafront. 430 ft of total elevation gain across 13.1 miles.
Is Great North Run flat?
No — the Great North Run is hillier than most runners expect, with around 430ft (130m) of total elevation gain. The course starts with a fast downhill off the Tyne Bridge, but the main test comes on a sustained climb through miles 8-12 via Jarrow and Marsden Bank. None of the climbs are steep, but they're long. The final mile into South Shields, by contrast, is flat.
Great North Run Course Profile
430 ft total elevation gain.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Newcastle city centre
Start line.
Tyne Bridge
A fast downhill start off the iconic bridge, crossing from Newcastle into Gateshead.
Marsden Bank climb
+430ft (131m) — The main test on the course — a sustained, gradual climb through Jarrow and up Marsden Bank between miles 8 and 12, accounting for effectively all of the route's elevation gain.
Where Great North Run starts and finishes
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on. The official course map is the one to use: view it on the organiser's site .
Full Great North Run Route Breakdown
A point-to-point course from Newcastle city centre, over the iconic Tyne Bridge (a fast downhill start around mile 1.5) and through Gateshead, before a long stretch through Team Valley and Jarrow. The toughest section is a sustained climb through miles 8-12 up Marsden Bank, before a flat-ish final mile down to the finish on South Shields seafront.
Great North Run Pace Calculator & Splits
Great North Run Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
18:19
Average pace / km
11:23
Great North Run Pace Chart
Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 13:44 | 8:32 | 42:41 | 1:25:23 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 14:53 | 9:15 | 46:15 | 1:32:30 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 16:02 | 9:58 | 49:48 | 1:39:37 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 17:11 | 10:40 | 53:22 | 1:46:43 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 18:19 | 11:23 | 56:55 | 1:53:50 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 19:28 | 12:06 | 1:00:29 | 2:00:57 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 20:37 | 12:48 | 1:04:02 | 2:08:04 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 21:45 | 13:31 | 1:07:36 | 2:15:11 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 22:54 | 14:14 | 1:11:09 | 2:22:18 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 25:11 | 15:39 | 1:18:16 | 2:36:32 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 27:29 | 17:05 | 1:25:23 | 2:50:46 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 29:46 | 18:30 | 1:32:30 | 3:04:59 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 32:04 | 19:55 | 1:39:37 | 3:19:13 | 7:00:00 |
Great North Run Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Great North Run finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Great North Run finish
1:54:55
An estimate only, based on Pete Riegel's race-time prediction formula. Real marathon performance depends on endurance, training specificity, pacing and race-day conditions — not just your speed over a shorter distance.
Training for a different distance? Try the full pace calculator, race time predictor or pace chart.
Got your target time? Save it to your profile.
Tag Great North Run, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyGreat North Run Race Day Checklist
Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.
- Race number attached, and any timing chip fitted per your race pack instructions
- Confirmation of your start wave, based on your estimated finish time
- Weather-appropriate kit for a point-to-point coastal course — conditions can differ from start to finish
- Your own gels/fuel, since on-course drink station contents weren't published at the time of writing
- A plan for getting from South Shields back to Newcastle (or home) after the race — the Tyne and Wear Metro connects both ends
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends near the South Shields finish, which gets extremely busy
Training Strategy for Great North Run
10-14 weeks is a solid window for a first half marathon; 8-10 weeks is enough if you're already maintaining a baseline mileage. Build your long run up gradually rather than jumping straight to race distance.
This course has real climbs — marsden bank climb around mile 10 — so include some hill-repeat sessions midweek rather than relying only on flat long runs.
Reduce overall mileage across the final 7-10 days while preserving short race-pace bursts. Arrive at Newcastle city centre fresh, energized, and primed — not fit, fresh.
Lock in your target pace using the interactive splits calculator below — no official pacers are confirmed for this event, so a pace band on your watch is the more reliable option.
Test your race-day fuel and hydration plan on your long training runs, not for the first time on race day — check the Race Day Checklist below for what's actually on this course.
Half Marathon Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A modest increase in carbohydrate intake over the 2-3 days before the race — not one huge pasta dinner the night before — is the reliable approach to topping up glycogen stores for a half marathon.
Eat a carb-focused breakfast 2-3 hours before your wave start, and stick to something you've already tested in training.
On-course drink station contents for this event weren't published at the time of writing — carry your own gels/fuel if you have specific needs.
Refuelling with carbohydrate and protein soon after you finish is the well-understood way to kick-start recovery — South Shields seafront has plenty of options once you're through the finish area.
Great North Run Charity Places 2026
Charity places are available through a large number of partner charities rather than one official charity of the year — fees and minimum fundraising targets vary by charity, so check directly with the charity you'd like to run for.
Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.
Share key training milestones on Instagram (first 10-miler, peak week, race week) with your fundraising link in bio. Publicly thanking donors prompts secondary gifts!
Running Great North Run for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Great North Run fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for Great North Run
Newcastle city centre
Closest to the start, with the most hotel choice and easy access to the Metro for getting to South Shields afterwards.
You'll need to travel to South Shields after finishing — not walking distance.
South Shields / Gateshead
Closer to the finish, useful if you'd rather not travel far after 13.1 miles.
Fewer hotel options than central Newcastle, and you'll still need transport to reach the Newcastle start on race morning.
Travel & Logistics
The Tyne and Wear Metro connects Newcastle city centre to South Shields directly, and is the standard way to get back to your start point (or hotel) after a point-to-point race.
Given this is a point-to-point course between two different towns, driving to the start isn't practical — check the official site for any park-and-ride or shuttle options offered on race day.
Roads across Newcastle, Gateshead and South Tyneside are closed for the duration of the event and reopen progressively as the field passes through.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
The Tyne Bridge (mile 1.5) and the South Shields seafront finish are the two most famous, most crowded spectator points on the course.
Because this is a point-to-point course rather than a loop, spectators generally need to pick one or two viewing points in advance and use the Metro to move between them rather than following on foot.
No dedicated live-tracking app is confirmed for this event — check the official Great Run site for updates closer to race day.
Great North Run Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
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Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official Great North Run site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.