Runners spread across a city avenue during a marathon

AJ Bell Great North Run

0975 km half marathon run from Newcastle to South Shields, in north-east England. The most recent edition drew 63,000 runners.

Prepare for Great North Run

A plan built from your answers and your race date.

half marathon training plan

The race links Newcastle upon Tyne with South Shields, on the Tyne and Wear coast in north-east England. The route leaves the city centre, crosses the Tyne, follows wide main roads out of town and finishes facing the North Sea. Spectators line the course from the first kilometre to the last.

0975 km. The most recent edition drew 63,000 runners, and the organiser presents it as the largest half marathon in the world. That scale means wave starts, substantial transport logistics on the day, and heavy demand whenever entries are released to the public.

The formats

One format only.

Format	Distance
Semi-marathon	13.1 mi

Organizer information, checked on September 21, 2026 · greatrun.org

When to start

A build for this distance usually runs 10 to 16 weeks. Counted back from race day, that puts the start somewhere between May 17, 2027 and June 28, 2027.

These ranges are working conventions, not a research finding — no trial has compared plan lengths against each other. What matters more is that the plan was built for the weeks you actually have, rather than shrunk down from a longer one.

How to choose your start date

When to start

May 17, 2027

→ June 28, 2027

Worth reading before you enter

Races and distances 10K, half, marathon: what each one really asks They are all running. They are not the same event. What limits you, how long you need, and how the race falls apart — all three change with the distance. Read Races and distances The big marathons: what each one actually demands A marathon is 42.195 km everywhere. What changes is the profile, the crowd, the weather you are likely to get — and so what your training should emphasise. Read Training Eating and drinking: what’s proven, what isn’t This is where confident advice most often runs ahead of the evidence. Some of it is well tested. Some is opinion wearing a number. And one common habit can kill you. Read

Questions

What is the date of AJ Bell Great North Run in 2027?

AJ Bell Great North Run is run on Sunday, September 12, 2027 from Newcastle to South Shields. Date published by the organizer, checked on September 21, 2026.

How many runners take part in the Great North Run?

The most recent edition brought together 63,000 runners. The organiser presents it as the biggest half marathon in the world, which means wave starts and large-scale logistics on race morning.

Is the Great North Run course hard?

0975 km route is broadly fast, trending downhill towards the coast. A few rises come before the finish at South Shields, and the size of the field makes early pacing harder to control.

Other races

This list keeps growing; it draws no line. A race that is missing is prepared for in exactly the same way.

Bath · United KingdomHalf marathon GetPRO Bath Half Marathon Mar 14 1 km half marathon run through the streets of central Bath, England. Reading · United KingdomHalf marathon Green Park Reading Half Marathon Mar 21 A Mini Marathon runs alongside it for younger participants on the same day. London · United KingdomHalf marathon London Landmarks Half Marathon Apr 4 0975km route strings together the capital's best-known landmarks on roads shut to traffic. Your race is not here? Tell us about your race You can prepare for it all the same. Any race, anywhere, and even a goal without a race.

Your race is on the calendar. Your plan should be too.

Build my plan

Secure payment with Stripe. Then allow about 30 minutes for your profile, in several sittings if you like.