Run the Great North Run
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
The organisers call it the world's biggest half marathon, a single mass of runners heading from the Central Motorway in Newcastle to the coast at South Shields. Places are in such demand that most are handed out by ballot.
DemandingUnder £100 / $130MonthsOutdoorsAlone or with othersNorth East England
Someone who has done it
These are real people who did this, as reported by the outlets named. We opened each one before linking it. None of them is connected with this site.
How to start
- Read the Great North Run page on the Great Run site and sign up for a reminder of the next ballot.
- Enter the ballot, or apply to a charity for one of its places if you would rather fundraise.
- Follow a half marathon training plan that builds your long run gradually over three to four months.
Where to go
We opened this link on 7 October 2026 and found it to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Events have fixed dates and entry or ticket deadlines. Physical events add a training plan from our guidance engine, and its length is set by the engine, not by the date you would like.
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