AJ Bell Great North Run 2026

“Up north, it was the co-runners 🏃 ” — there’s the perfect remix to get you ready to rack up the kilometres at the Aj Bell Great North Run. And even without headphones, the atmosphere will be there, we can promise you that 📣. The event is one of the country’s most iconic road races, across all distances. Here’s more about this half-marathon, which feels more like a people’s celebration than a hyper-elitist challenge 😎.

Our fairy tale takes place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in England 🏴. Not to be confused with Newcastle, a famous city in Northern Ireland, where the wrong detour quickly costs you 8 hours of driving and just as much petrol 😳. In 1981, a runner named Brendan Foster decided to create a local half-marathon that could bring everyone together around running 🫂. The idea was that everyone could find their own reason to run the mythical distance of 21.0975 km. Performance, personal achievement, fun, charitable cause or sharing—every excuse is a good one to set your sights on the Great North of England 📍. The route connects the cities of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and South Shields, along a fast, flowing course that’s ideal for records 🏆. Running right through the city centre, the race gradually turned over the years into a true popular celebration, with practically as many supporters as runners. The event records fell one after another, and more and more international elite athletes kept showing up on the start line 🏁. In 2023, the race was even awarded Gold status on the international circuit of the IAAF Road Race Label Events 🥇.

Today, after more than 40 editions, it’s the half-marathon that attracts the most runners in the world 🤯. 60,000 participants are expected each year in September to share the experience and chase performances to the rhythm of the entertainment 🎉. You’ll find all kinds of stands: music groups 🪇, charity zones, cheer zones, and even karaoke 🎤. Yes, yes, on the course: if you’re fed up with running, you can take a break and belt one out for a song to change your mind (and entertain the other competitors 😬). But it’s still a good idea to get moving again after a few singles: the finish along the seafront is known for being spectacular and one of a kind ✨. You finish with all the runners alongside the North Sea for nearly 3 kilometres. The sea air blows across your face and, with one sweep, brushes away the effort you’ve been feeling for over an hour 🌬️. It’s also usually the moment when you replay all the monuments you passed along the way, like one last flashback before the finish 💭: the Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Stadium will feel very far away once the finisher arch comes into view 🎯. The energy and atmosphere of this race are unique, and (not to mention the sweets handed out by the huge crowd 🍬), it’s a sporting event to tick off the list of any self-respecting half-marathoner ✅. And if you want to put images to the words, you can also go check out the 2025 teaser, which captures the spirit of the race perfectly: right here 🎬.

So now you won’t be able to say you don’t know where to go out in England: the Aj Bell Great North Run is the perfect event to mix intensive practice and a festive gathering 🥳.