Photo: © The Great Run Company▶AJ Bell Great North Run
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdomsince 1981Choose the distanceTap a distance: the course, fees, times and rules below update for that race.
At a glance
AJ Bell Great North Run 2027 takes place on 10 September 2027 – 12 September 2027 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. Distances: 21.098 km, 5 km, 4 km, 1.5 km. Start at 10:50 from Central Motorway (A167, vicino a Claremont Road), Newcastle upon Tyne.
- Date
- Friday, 10 September 2027 – Sunday, 12 September 2027
- Location
- Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Start
- Central Motorway (A167, vicino a Claremont Road), Newcastle upon Tyne
- Finish
- Lungomare di South Shields
- Distances
- Half marathon · 21.098 km · Competitive
- AJ Bell Great North 5k · Competitive
- AJ Bell Junior Great North Run · 4 km · Non-competitive
- AJ Bell Mini Great North Run · 1.5 km · Non-competitive
- Start times
- Mezza maratona 10:50 · AJ Bell Great North 5k 18:00
- Entry fees
- £27
- Registration
- Registration open · Register now ↗
- Organiser
- The Great Run Company Limited ↗
- Official website
- greatrun.org ↗
- Edition
- since 1981
Last updated: 19 October 2026
The race
The AJ Bell Great North Run is the world's biggest half marathon. It began in 1981 as a fun run, has seen 1.4 million people cross its finish line and in 2026, its 45th anniversary year, brought 63,000 participants to the start.
The 2027 edition takes place on Sunday 12 September. The mass start is at 10:50 on the Central Motorway in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne; the route crosses the Tyne Bridge, heads into Gateshead and finishes on the seafront at South Shields, overlooking the North Sea.
The race is famous for its roaring crowds, music, costumes and fundraising for hundreds of charities. At the start the Red Arrows fly over the Tyne Bridge, and the race is shown live on the BBC.
The weekend also includes:
- Friday 10 September: the AJ Bell Great North 5k, at 18:00 on the Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside
- Saturday 11 September: the Junior Great North Run (4 km, ages 9-16) and the Mini Great North Run (1.5 km, ages 3-8)
After the finish, runners gather in the event village and Après Run Zone in South Shields, with music, food and drink.
Videos
Course
The Great North Run is a point-to-point 13.1-mile road course from Newcastle to South Shields.
From the city to the bridge
The start is on the Central Motorway (A167) near Claremont Road, and early on runners cross the Tyne Bridge, the city's landmark, into Gateshead. Miles 1-2 are mainly downhill.
Gateshead and South Tyneside
The first half is made up of long, straight roads and passes Gateshead International Stadium. There is a gradual climb between miles 3 and 5, followed by downhill running to mile 8.
The toughest stretch and the sea
From mile 8 to mile 12 the road climbs for a long time: many find it the hardest part, but it also has the most music and support. At mile 12 comes the first glimpse of the North Sea; from there the course drops towards South Shields and the final mile runs along the seafront to the finish, where runners collect their medal.
Entertainment points along the route are marked on the official map. Roads are closed for the race, and the Metro from South Shields is the recommended way home.
Entry fees
What's included
- Race pack
- Finisher medal
- Chip timing
- Cronometraggio
- Bag drop
- Race photos
- Finisher certificate
Rules and requirements
Who can take part
The half marathon is open to anyone aged 17 or over on race day. Wheelchair athletes are welcome: self-propelled racing wheelchair users compete under IPC rules and BWRA classification.
How to get a place
Most places are allocated by ballot:
- the September 2026 ballot closed on 20 September and was drawn on 21 September; only successful entrants were charged
- unsuccessful entrants can try again in the January 2027 ballot
- there are many charity places, with a fundraising commitment
- Great North Run membership guarantees a place without the ballot (2027-2028 memberships are sold out)
Entries go through the Let's Do This platform. The 2027 half marathon fee is not shown on the official website; the Great North 5k costs £27 (Earlybird) and then £33.
Start and timetable
The mass start is at 10:50 on Sunday 12 September; elite wheelchair athletes, elite women and visually impaired participants go first (2026 times: 10:20, 10:25 and 10:27). Waves are allocated by estimated finish time: you can move to a slower wave, but not a faster one.
Race number and baggage
Your race number with timing chip arrives by post about four weeks before. If it doesn't arrive, collect it with ID from an information point the day before or on race morning: locations and times are in the event guide, published about six weeks before. Bags go on the baggage buses at the start and are collected in South Shields.
Refunds
Refunds are given only for medical reasons, up to 10 weeks before the event and with medical evidence (minus £5). If you withdraw for other reasons, by 6pm the day before, you can buy a guaranteed place for the following year at the standard fee; if your withdrawn number is used by someone else, you lose that guaranteed place.
