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Great North Run 2027: Everything You Need To Know
The Great North Run is unlike almost any other half marathon. Every September, tens of thousands of runners gather in Newcastle upon Tyne before setting off on a 13.1 mile journey across the Tyne Bridge, through Gateshead and eventually towards the North Sea and the famous finish in South Shields.
It is one of the world's biggest half marathons, but size alone does not explain its popularity. The Great North Run combines elite racing with mass participation, enormous charity fundraising and extraordinary support from communities across the North East. The event has grown from around 12,000 runners at the inaugural race in 1981 to a field of more than 60,000 today.
For some runners it is a race they want to complete once in their lifetime, while for others it becomes an annual tradition. First time half marathon runners line up alongside experienced club runners, charity fundraisers, costume runners and some of the best distance athletes in the world.
The AJ Bell Great North Run 2027 takes place on Sunday 12 September 2027, and the first ballot for places is already open. If you are considering joining thousands of other runners on the journey from Newcastle to South Shields, here is everything you need to know.
Why Run The Great North Run?
There are hundreds of half marathons to choose from, but relatively few provide an experience on the scale of the Great North Run. Race weekend takes over Newcastle and the surrounding area, with runners travelling from across the UK and overseas to take part.
The start is one of the defining moments. Thousands of runners assemble on Newcastle's Central Motorway before beginning the journey towards South Shields, and within the opening part of the race comes the moment most have been waiting for: crossing the Tyne Bridge surrounded by a sea of other participants.
Then there are the crowds. The Great North Run has developed a reputation for extraordinary local support, and the communities along the route are an important part of the event. The atmosphere changes as runners leave Newcastle and Gateshead behind and gradually make their way towards the coast.
It isn't necessarily the race to choose if your only objective is running the fastest possible half marathon. If you want a running experience that you are likely to remember for years, however, there are few half marathons that can compete with it.
Newcastle: The Destination
The Great North Run is also an excellent excuse to spend a weekend in Newcastle upon Tyne. The city is compact enough to explore easily while offering plenty of restaurants, nightlife, culture and history for runners and anyone travelling with them.
The Quayside is an obvious place to start. The River Tyne and its bridges dominate this part of Newcastle, and seeing the Tyne Bridge before race day gives you a very different perspective on the landmark you will soon be running across.
Newcastle Castle provides a connection with the city's history, while football supporters may want to visit St James' Park. Across the river, Gateshead is home to attractions including BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.
If you are extending your trip, the North East coastline is also worth exploring. Tynemouth and its beaches are within easy reach, while South Shields itself becomes part of your Great North Run experience when you arrive there at the end of the race.
Accommodation is one thing not to leave until the last minute. An event involving more than 60,000 runners creates enormous demand across the region, so booking somewhere to stay as soon as your place is confirmed makes sense.
The History Of The Great North Run
The Great North Run was the idea of British Olympic medallist Sir Brendan Foster. After experiencing the Round the Bays event in Auckland, New Zealand, Foster saw the potential for a major mass participation road race in his native North East.
The first Great North Run took place on 28 June 1981, when around 12,000 runners participated. What began as an ambitious new running event subsequently developed into the world's biggest half marathon, with more than a million people having completed the journey from Newcastle to South Shields.
The race has also become closely associated with charity fundraising. Thousands of runners take part for causes that matter to them every year, generating millions of pounds and making fundraising as much a part of the event's identity as the elite race at the front.
Some of the greatest distance runners in history have competed here, while the race has also received a World Athletics Heritage Plaque in recognition of its contribution to the sport. More than four decades after that first event, the Great North Run has become part of British running culture.
When Is The Great North Run 2027?
The AJ Bell Great North Run 2027 takes place on Sunday 12 September 2027. The date has already been confirmed by the organisers, giving runners plenty of time to plan their entry, accommodation and training.
The detailed 2027 race timetable will be released closer to the event. The Great North Run includes separate elite and wheelchair starts before the huge mass participation field gets underway, with runners divided into waves to manage the enormous number of people taking part.
Great North Run Race Morning
Race morning requires more planning than it does at many smaller half marathons. The Great North Run is a point-to-point event, which means the start and finish are 13.1 miles apart and you need to think about your transport before arriving in Newcastle.
The start is on Newcastle's Central Motorway, close to Claremont Road, with Haymarket the nearest Metro station. Runners are divided into waves and allocated arrival and assembly information, helping the organisers move tens of thousands of people into position before the race begins.
Don't plan to arrive at the last minute. Road closures, busy public transport and the sheer number of runners mean everything takes longer than it would on a normal Sunday morning, and your final 2027 race instructions should always take priority over arrangements used in previous years.
It is also worth giving yourself enough time to enjoy the start. Seeing the motorway filled with thousands of runners is part of the Great North Run experience, and the anticipation before everyone begins the journey towards South Shields is one of the great moments of the weekend.
The Great North Run Course: Newcastle To South Shields
The Great North Run follows a point-to-point route from Newcastle upon Tyne to the coast at South Shields. That journey from city to sea is fundamental to the character of the event because, rather than circling back towards the place where you started, you are continually travelling towards a completely different destination.
The course starts on Newcastle's Central Motorway before runners cross the Tyne Bridge and head through Gateshead. It is not a completely flat half marathon, and the combination of several climbs with the excitement and congestion of such a large event makes sensible pacing important.
The Start And Tyne Bridge
Few half marathons have an opening landmark as recognisable as the Tyne Bridge. After leaving the Central Motorway, runners head towards the bridge and cross the River Tyne into Gateshead, surrounded by thousands of other participants and views across one of Britain's most recognisable cityscapes. It is worth allowing yourself to enjoy the moment rather than becoming obsessed with your watch. It can also be a dangerous point from a pacing perspective because fresh legs, enormous crowds and the excitement of finally starting make it very easy to run considerably faster than planned. There are still plenty of miles ahead once you leave the bridge behind. Settle into your planned pace afterwards and give yourself the opportunity to run the second half of the race properly.
Through Gateshead And Towards The Coast
Once across the Tyne, the race continues through Gateshead and begins the long journey towards South Shields. The early part of the course includes a gradual climb between approximately miles three and five before runners eventually encounter a downhill section towards mile eight. This is where patience starts to become important. The spectacular opening is behind you and the Great North Run gradually becomes a half marathon that needs to be managed rather than simply an enormous celebration. Crowd support remains one of its defining features throughout the journey. Local residents and spectators have been part of the character of the Great North Run for decades, turning sections of the route into a celebration rather than simply somewhere runners pass through.
The Toughest Miles
The later stages deserve particular respect because the course includes a sustained uphill section between approximately miles eight and 12. It comes at exactly the point where a half marathon naturally starts becoming harder, and runners who have been carried away by the opening atmosphere can pay for it here. This is why training on hills and controlling your early pace can make such a difference. If you have prepared properly and kept something back during the opening miles, the climb towards the coast becomes much more manageable.
The Final Mile Into South Shields
At around mile 12 comes one of the Great North Run's signature moments as runners get their first glimpse of the North Sea. After spending much of the later race climbing towards the coast, the route finally drops downhill towards South Shields before turning towards the seafront and the finish. The crowds build again, the sea appears and suddenly the finish that seemed a long way away in Newcastle is almost within reach. The final section along the seafront provides a fitting end to the journey, and whatever time appears on your watch, completing 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields is an achievement worth enjoying.
Is The Great North Run A Fast Course?
The Great North Run has produced extraordinary elite performances, but that doesn't necessarily make it the ideal personal best course for the average runner. The route isn't flat, particularly during the sustained climbing in the latter stages, while the enormous field can also make maintaining an exact pace difficult. None of that means you cannot run quickly.
A runner starting in an appropriate wave, training for the course and pacing sensibly can certainly produce a good time, but there are flatter and less congested half marathons if achieving a personal best is your only priority. For most runners, that isn't really the point of coming here. The Great North Run is about experiencing the Tyne Bridge, the crowds, the journey towards the coast and the extraordinary scale of the event as much as it is about the number on the clock.
Water, Support And The Course
An event on this scale requires substantial infrastructure, from hydration and medical support to volunteers and entertainment. Exact arrangements can change between editions, so runners should check the final 2027 event information for the location of water stations and other course facilities rather than assuming they will be identical to previous years.
The other form of support requires no event guide. Spectators are integral to the Great North Run experience, with local communities embracing the event and providing encouragement to runners throughout the journey towards South Shields.
There will inevitably be quieter stretches on a 13.1 mile point-to-point course, and these are often the sections where you need to concentrate on your own race. The contrast between those stretches and the areas packed with supporters is part of what gives the course its character.
Getting Back From South Shields
This is one of the most important pieces of Great North Run planning for anyone who hasn't done the event before. You start in Newcastle and finish 13.1 miles away in South Shields, so once you have crossed the finish line, collected your medal and met friends or family, you still need to get back to your accommodation or onward transport.
South Shields Metro station provides a route back towards Newcastle, with additional transport arrangements normally operating around the event. Tens of thousands of runners and spectators are trying to move around the area at the same time, however, so don't expect to finish and immediately disappear.
Arrange where you will meet friends and family before the race rather than relying entirely on mobile phones after finishing. Large crowds can make communication more difficult, and having a clear meeting point can save a lot of unnecessary wandering around on tired legs.
Most importantly, build some time into your plans. Don't book something in Newcastle that requires you to be back at a precise time shortly after finishing because leaving South Shields is part of the logistics of running the Great North Run.
Is The Great North Run Suitable For Beginners?
The Great North Run can be an excellent first half marathon. You won't be alone, you won't be short of encouragement and you certainly won't feel as though the event is intended only for experienced club runners, because the field includes everyone from international elites to people completing their first significant running challenge.
The atmosphere can make 13.1 miles feel more achievable, but it cannot replace training. Beginners still need to build their running gradually and arrive prepared for both the distance and a course that contains enough climbing to punish anyone who has underestimated it.
Training on some hills is particularly worthwhile. You don't need to spend every session running up steep climbs, but including undulating routes in your preparation will leave you better equipped for the later stages between Gateshead and South Shields.
The other challenge for beginners is restraint. Thousands of excited runners, cheering crowds and the Tyne Bridge can make the first couple of miles feel effortless, but running those miles too quickly can make the final section towards the coast considerably harder.
Running The Great North Run For Charity
Charity fundraising isn't a small addition to the Great North Run; it is one of the things that defines the event. Thousands of participants run for causes that matter to them every year, collectively raising millions of pounds and turning the race into one of Britain's biggest annual fundraising occasions.
Charity places are also an important alternative for runners who don't secure a ballot entry. Individual charities offer guaranteed entries in return for runners committing to raise an agreed amount, although fundraising targets and registration arrangements vary between organisations.
If you secure your own ballot place, you can still fundraise without taking one of a charity's allocated entries. This gives you the freedom to choose a cause that matters to you while keeping your race place independent of your fundraising commitment.
The Great North Run is particularly well suited to fundraising because almost everyone understands the scale of the challenge. Your training provides months of opportunities to tell your story, involve supporters and build towards race day, while the event itself gives your fundraising a recognisable focal point.
How To Enter The Great North Run 2027
Demand for the Great North Run is enormous, so getting a place is not simply a matter of deciding to enter a few weeks before race day. The first ballot for the 2027 AJ Bell Great North Run is already open and closes at 23:59 on Sunday 20 September 2026, with the draw taking place the following day.
The 2027 ballot entry price is £70. Applicants provide payment details when applying, but payment is only taken if they are successful, so it is important to make sure sufficient funds are available when the ballot is drawn.
Missing out in the September ballot does not necessarily end your chances of running. The organisers have confirmed that there will be another ballot opportunity in January, while charity places provide another important route onto the start line.
Great North Run membership can also provide guaranteed entry, although availability is limited and membership places can sell out. If you already know that you want to run the Great North Run in 2027, entering the ballot as early as possible gives you the clearest route towards securing your place.
Where To Stay For The Great North Run
For most visitors, Newcastle is the obvious place to base yourself. Staying in or close to the city centre gives you straightforward access to restaurants and everything happening during race weekend while putting you on the correct side of the point-to-point course for race morning.
South Shields can make sense in particular circumstances, especially if you have friends or family there, but remember that your morning then begins with travelling to Newcastle for the start. Whichever option you choose, booking early is sensible because more than 60,000 participants plus their supporters create enormous demand for accommodation across the region.
It is also worth thinking about Sunday night rather than only where you will stay before the race. If your schedule allows it, staying until Monday turns race evening into part of the experience rather than a frantic attempt to collect your belongings, travel back from South Shields and immediately begin a long journey home.
What Makes The Great North Run Special?
The Great North Run has many of the ingredients found at other major races, but few events combine them quite like this. There is the scale of the start, the Tyne Bridge, the journey through the North East, the crowds, the charities and the eventual arrival at the sea.
There is also a sense that the event belongs to the communities it passes through rather than simply taking place on their roads. That relationship between runners and the North East has developed over more than four decades and is one of the reasons people return year after year.
You can run plenty of half marathons that are smaller, flatter and easier to organise around. Very few will give you the feeling of being part of something quite this big, which is why the Great North Run continues to sit on so many runners' bucket lists.
Our Verdict: Is The Great North Run Worth Doing?
The Great North Run deserves its reputation as one of the world's great running events. It isn't simply the size of the race that makes it special; it is the combination of Newcastle, the Tyne Bridge, the crowds, the charities, the journey towards the North Sea and that finish in South Shields.
It isn't perfect. The enormous field means congestion is inevitable, accommodation can be expensive, getting away from South Shields requires patience and there are faster courses if a personal best is your only priority.
But removing those things would also remove much of what makes the event what it is. For first time half marathon runners, experienced runners and charity fundraisers alike, the Great North Run offers an experience that is difficult to reproduce anywhere else.
Our verdict is simple: this is a must-do half marathon. If you've never experienced the Great North Run, 2027 could be the year to change that.
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Have A Listen
Ben and Kat both reviewed the Great North Run on our podcast series Bitten By The Running Bug. Listen to Ben's here and Kat's here.
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