Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Other Distances
Great South Run 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 18 October 2026
- Location
- Portsmouth, UK
- Distance
- 10 mi / 16.1 km
Great South Run: 18 October 2026. Entry, the flat Portsmouth seafront course, charity places, a pace calculator.
Great South Run Race Timeline
38 days to go
This is where the real training happens — building your long run and getting comfortable with 10-mile race-pace.
Great South Run 2026: quick answers
When is Great South Run 2026?
Great South Run 2026 takes place on Sunday, 18 October 2026.
Where does Great South Run start and finish?
Great South Run starts at Southsea Common, Portsmouth and finishes at Clarence Esplanade, Portsmouth.
How many miles is Great South Run?
Great South Run is 10 miles (16.1km).
How much does Great South Run cost to enter?
Entry is direct via the official Great Run site — no ballot. Registration was around £66 as of Aug 2026; always confirm the current price before entering.
How can I track a runner at Great South 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, 18 October 2026
- Distance
- 10 miles / 16.1km
- Location
- Portsmouth, UK
- Start Point
- Southsea Common, Portsmouth
- Finish Point
- Clarence Esplanade, Portsmouth
- Surface
- Closed public roads, tarmac seafront promenade
- Cut-off time
- The event finishes at 3pm — you'll need to complete the 10 miles by then.
- Age requirement
- Reported as 16 or over by the organizer, though some charity partners require entrants to be 17 or 18 — check the specific entry route you're using.
- Tracking app
- No dedicated live-tracking app is confirmed for this event — check the official Great Run site for updates closer to race day.
Not published by the organiser at the time of writing: start time. Verus records these as unconfirmed rather than estimating them — check the official race website closer to race day.
Direct Entry Summary
Entry is direct via the official Great Run site — no ballot. Registration was around £66 as of Aug 2026; always confirm the current price before entering.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — entry is first come, first served via the official Great Run site.
Great South Run Race Day Weather
A real forecast appears here once one exists for race day — usually about a week to ten days out. Nothing is shown until then, because a made-up forecast is worse than none.
Great South Run Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Southsea Common, Portsmouth and finishing at Clarence Esplanade, Portsmouth. Total elevation gain is not published for this event, and Verus does not estimate one.
Is Great South Run flat?
Yes — the Great South Run is a flat, fast seafront course along Southsea and Portsmouth, popular for PBs over the 10-mile distance. No official elevation figure is published, but the course is consistently described as flat throughout.
Great South Run Course Profile
Elevation change not published for this event.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Southsea Common, Portsmouth
Start line.
Eastney Esplanade turnaround
The course's out-and-back turnaround, near the Coffee Cup on Eastney Esplanade, before heading back along the same flat seafront route.
Where Great South 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 South Run Route Breakdown
A flat, fast seafront course starting on Southsea Common. The route heads north through the common before turning onto Serpentine Road and Lady's Mile, then east along the seafront to Eastney Esplanade for a U-turn near the Coffee Cup, before returning along the same seafront to finish on Clarence Esplanade.
Great South Run Pace Calculator & Splits
Great South Run Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
24:00
Average pace / km
14:55
Great South 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 | 18:00 | 11:11 | 55:55 | 1:51:51 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 19:30 | 12:07 | 1:00:35 | 2:01:10 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 21:00 | 13:03 | 1:05:15 | 2:10:29 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 22:30 | 13:59 | 1:09:54 | 2:19:49 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 24:00 | 14:55 | 1:14:34 | 2:29:08 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 25:30 | 15:51 | 1:19:14 | 2:38:27 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 27:00 | 16:47 | 1:23:53 | 2:47:46 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 28:30 | 17:43 | 1:28:33 | 2:57:05 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 30:00 | 18:38 | 1:33:12 | 3:06:25 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 33:00 | 20:30 | 1:42:32 | 3:25:03 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 36:00 | 22:22 | 1:51:51 | 3:43:42 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 39:00 | 24:14 | 2:01:10 | 4:02:20 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 42:00 | 26:06 | 2:10:29 | 4:20:59 | 7:00:00 |
Great South Run Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Great South Run finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Great South Run finish
1:26:19
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 South Run, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyGreat South 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
- Weather-appropriate kit for an exposed seafront course — expect wind off the Solent
- Your own gels/fuel if you have specific fuelling needs beyond what's on the course
- A plan for reaching Southsea Common — Portsmouth & Southsea station is the nearest mainline stop
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends near Clarence Esplanade for after the race
Training Strategy for Great South Run
6-10 weeks is a solid window for a 10-mile race. Combine a weekly long run with threshold work so you can hold pace over the full distance.
This is a largely flat course, so most of your long runs can mirror that — flat and steady, building time on feet rather than hill strength.
Ease off mileage in the final week, keeping a couple of short, sharp race-pace efforts to stay fresh. Arrive at Southsea Common, Portsmouth 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.
10-Mile Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A 10-mile race doesn't demand the same carb-loading as a half or full marathon — a normal balanced diet with a slightly larger carb portion the night before is enough for most runners.
Eat something light and familiar 1-2 hours before the start — this is a shorter race, so a heavy breakfast can do more harm than good.
On-course drink station contents for this event weren't published at the time of writing — most runners won't need fuel for a 10-mile race, but carry water if you prefer to.
A mix of carbohydrate and protein in the hour or so after finishing supports recovery — Southsea has plenty of seafront cafes and restaurants nearby.
Great South Run Charity Places 2026
Charity places are available through numerous partner charities, including Alzheimer's Society (the official charity of the AJ Bell Great Run Series), GOSH Charity and Macmillan Cancer Support. Fees and minimum fundraising targets vary by charity.
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 South Run for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Great South Run fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for Great South Run
Southsea
Right by the start and finish on Southsea Common and Clarence Esplanade — the most convenient base for race day.
A smaller area with fewer large hotels than central Portsmouth.
Portsmouth city centre / Gunwharf Quays
More hotel choice, with good transport links to Southsea and easy access to Portsmouth Harbour station.
A short journey rather than walking distance to the start on Southsea Common.
Travel & Logistics
Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour stations both connect to the Southsea seafront area, a walkable distance from the start on Southsea Common.
Roads along the Southsea and Portsmouth seafront are closed for the duration of the event, confirmed in detail by Portsmouth City Council closer to race day.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
The Southsea Common start/finish area and the seafront along Clarence Esplanade and Eastney Esplanade are the easiest places to watch from.
Because the course runs out-and-back along the seafront, spectators based near Southsea Common can often see runners pass more than once without moving far.
No dedicated live-tracking app is confirmed for this event — check the official Great Run site for updates closer to race day.
Great South 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 South Run site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.