Runners spread across a city avenue during a marathon

AJ Bell Great South Run

1 km, held in Portsmouth, Hampshire. Its flat coastal course makes it a popular stepping stone between the 10K and the half marathon.

Prepare for Great South Run

A plan built from your answers and your race date.

half marathon training plan

Portsmouth is a naval port city on the south coast of England, facing the Channel. The route runs through the city centre and past the historic dockyard sites before reaching the seafront for the closing stretch of the race. The course is on tarmac, flat throughout, and openly exposed to coastal wind on its final section.

1 km. A Great South 5k is held the day before, which turns the event into a full race weekend or gives a supporter a shorter distance of their own. The race is part of the AJ Bell Great Run series. 35am start.

The formats

One format only.

Format	Distance
10 miles	10 mi

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

When to start

At this distance, a build usually runs 10 to 16 weeks. The 2027 date is not published, so counting back from October puts the start around June 21, 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

June 21, 2027

→ August 2, 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 South Run in 2027?

The organizer has not published the 2027 date for AJ Bell Great South Run yet. The race is usually held in October, in Portsmouth.

How long is the Great South Run?

1 km, run on a flat road course. A separate Great South 5k is also staged the day before over a considerably shorter distance.

Is the Great South Run course fast?

Yes, the route is flat with no real climbing to deal with. The main obstacle is the wind along the seafront section, which can make the closing kilometres noticeably harder than the early ones.

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.