Great North Run
Sun 8 Sep 2024

Great North Run

Run with Team Stroke and you’ll be closely supported every step of the way in this incredible event plus you’ll be making a difference to people’s lives changed by stroke.

  • Sun 8 Sep 2024

Great North Run

11:00

Sign up £20

Fundraise £350

Age 17 & over

Overview

You can secure a charity place for 2024!

The Great North Run is renowned for being the world's greatest half marathon, attracting 60,000 runners each September to its famous course from Newcastle upon Tyne to the coast at South Shields.

The Red Arrows display above thousands of runners crossing the Tyne Bridge is one of the many sights enjoyed by television viewers around the world.

With 5K and junior events taking place the same weekend, there's a reason for everyone to come and soak up the friendly atmosphere!

Highlights

  • World's greatest half marathon

    The unbeatable atmosphere of 60,000 runners and a warm North East welcome.

  • The Red Arrows and iconic Tyne Bridge

    Televised on the BBC for runners and supporters to watch again and again.

  • Bands and entertainment

    To keep you upbeat and motivated throughout the course.

  • weekend of running

    Including a 5K and junior events in addition to the half marathon itself.

Event video

  • Event expo
  • Event village
  • Families
  • Fancy dress
  • Newcomers
  • Spectators
  • Wheelchair users

The Great North Run is the main event of an exciting weekend of running for all ages and abilities, kicking off with a fun and fast 5K on the Friday followed by a schedule of junior events on the Saturday.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

  • Great North Run

  • Bag storage
  • Entertainment
  • Music
  • Toilets
  • Urban

Event HQ

The Town Moor
Grandstand Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
UK

  • Distance markers
  • Entertainment
  • First aid
  • Food stations
  • Marshals
  • No cut off time
  • Point to point
  • Sweeper
  • Toilets
  • Traffic free
  • Water stations
  • Wave start

The Great North Run is a point-to-point run starting at Town Moor in Newcastle Town Centre and heading to the coast via the Tyne Bridge, Gateshead town centre and South Tyneside. The run finishes in South Shields after a classic mile long run along the coast road.

Route map

The full route is the normal half marathon distance of 13.1 miles or 21 km and usually takes runners anywhere between an hour (for the elites) to several hours for those out enjoying themselves and soaking up the great atmosphere.

Great North Run route map
GREAT NORTH RUN ROUTE MAP 
From Newcastle centre to South Shields seafront. 

  • Public transport links
  • Recycling
  • Sustainability policy

Joined-up Public transport

Nexus, Stagecoach, Arriva and Go North East have teamed up to offer a simple multi-use travel ticket which will be valid on Metro, any bus service, and the Shields Ferry for the day of the Great North Run. This multi-use ticket includes travel across the entire North East network on the day of the run, including Tyne and Wear, Durham and Northumberland.

This all-day travel ticket will be available to purchase from Metro station ticket machines, as well as on the day of the event. You can also purchase wristbands online until the week before the event.

Sustainability Policy

The Great Run Company is in the process of updating its Sustainability Strategy in light of its collaborative approach and recent survey. Work to minimise the environmental impacts of their events will continue throughout this process, with particular focus on:

  • Reducing plastic
  • Reducing waste
  • Cutting carbon emissions
  • Responsible procurement

 

In addition, they are striving to improve performance even further by making sure that sustainability is embedded at the heart of the organisation and culture.

  • Event app
  • Goody bag
  • Medal
  • Technical t-shirt

The greatest reward in taking part is the sense of achievement as you cross the finish line, but by taking your place on the Great North Run start line, youโ€™re already part of something really special. This event is renowned for being well-organised, safe, and inclusive and the atmosphere and support is always unbelievable.

Included

  • Free event app
  • A shiny new, special edition Great North Run medal
  • An exclusive finishers t-shirt
  • A finisherโ€™s bag filled with goodies
  • A huge round of applause as you cross the finish line
  • Official event day photos available to view and purchase a couple of days after the event
  • Downloadable certificate
  • Your official result ready shortly after you cross the finish line
  • Special partner offers for participants

Event app

The Great Run app is a FREE app, providing live tracking on event day. Family and friends can see your location and track your progress on the interactive map, with times and current pace updated within seconds of crossing each split point. Features include:

  • Live tracking
  • Push notifications
  • Live leader boards
  • Event day updates

  • Fundraising materials
  • Fundraising support

The Great North Run is one of the largest fundraising events in the UK, providing a platform for runners to raise millions of pounds for charity every year.

Taking part in this event for charity is hugely beneficial to the charities and gives the runner advantages too, from supporting a cause that is close to your heart to securing a place in this highly sought-after event and much more.

Benefits of running for charity

Committing to raising money for charity gives you motivation to get outside and run, plus all of these extras which will elevate your event experience:

  • Fundraising support

    Charities know that raising money is all part of the challenge, which is why they provide advice, branded materials and a personalised online fundraising page to help the donations roll in. Think videos for social media, branded imagery and testimonials from previous runners.

  • Training support

    Whether this is your first run or your fifth, you'll need to train for it! You'll receive an in-depth training plan with guidance, plus many charities have access to expert coaches and elite runners too, who can provide exclusive tips for your race preparation. Experts include Runningwithus, Full Potential and Olympic champs.

  • Branded running kit

    When you show up on the day, people need to be able to see clearly that you're supporting a charity. Most charities will give you a branded and personalised t-shirt or vest to run in on the big day, and often a training top too.

  • Support on the day

    When you're partway through your run and your energy is flagging, what you need is a boost from cheering spectators to keep you moving. Many charities set up a cheer station along the route, keeping an eye out for you to send up a huge cheer as you run past!

  • Post-race recovery

    Refreshments and an indulgent post-race sports massage are often provided by charities for their runners. This is the perfect way to recover alongside other people who have run for that cause.

  • Exclusive social groups

    You won't be the only person running for that charity, so it's well worth meeting other runners through the charity's invite-only social media pages! You can organise to meet up for training runs, chat with the charity's expert coaches and share tips and stories with each other to keep the motivation levels running high.

What are charity places?

Charities buy places in this event, then give them to runners who agree to raise money for the charity โ€“ these are called charity places. Charity places are a great way to support a good cause and get a place in the event, especially if ballot entries are closed.

The Great North Run and charity fundraising go hand-in-hand - which charity will you run for?

  • Age 17 & over
  • 60000 places
  • Ballot closed
  • Charity entries open
  • Ballot
  • Charity places
  • Enter online
  • Event merch available
  • Race pack by post

You can now secure a charity place for 2024!

How to enter the Great North Run

There are 3 ways to secure your place in this fantastic event in 2024:

  • Ballot entry - applications open in early January for a few weeks
  • Charity place - join a charity team and raise money for your favourite cause
  • Elite runner - only for eilte runners who meet some fairly strict criteria

Entering the Ballot

Places in the event are allocated using a ballot system which usually takes applications from early January until February. All you need to do is fill in an application form and submit it before the February deadline - you'll get a notification if you've been successful. Don't worry if you're not one of the lucky ones, you'll still be able to join a charity team to secure your place.

Charity places

If you'd prefer to run as part of a charity team or you weren't one of the lucky ballot applications, you can still secure your place at the start line with one of our charity partners. Charities are taking entries for 2024 now. You can search by name or cause - or just find the cheapest registration fee or lowest fundraising amount. Charity places usually close at the beginning of July.

Best in the world. This event cannot get better.

The spectators made it feel really special and every charity station cheered me on. The medal and goody bag were top notch. I'd highly recommend this race.

Love it, will go back every year. I have done the Great North Run 10 times over many years. It's always a special and different event every year.

The best event ever. My sixth consecutive and I intend to keep going. Everything is superbly organised, it's like a massive family. The volunteers are amazing.

So many wonderful supporters and volunteers made it a fantastic day. Running over the Tyne Bridge with the Red Arrows overhead is something I'll never forget!

Great day. Great weather. Great atmosphere. Great supporters. Great experience. Great time. Great North Run.

The Great North Run was a brilliant experience and a very well-organised event. There was a fantastic atmosphere with incredible support.

Such a friendly and encouraging event and a credit to the region.

The crowds and entertainment that support the run are absolutely outstanding.