The AJ Bell Great North Run begins on the A167 road just outside Newcastle City Centre. The event officially opens at 8:00 AM, with mass warm-ups starting at 10:40 AM (subject to confirmation). The AJ Bell Great North Run has two starting locations, Town Moore & Claremont Road. Please check your Runners pack for specific location information!

To ensure you reach your starting zone on time you need to be at the starting point and assembly area on the A167 by 10:25 AM. Your AJ Bell Great North Run Runners Pack will provide details of your starting point, zone, and your specific time wave start time.

Run numbers will be mailed out approximately two weeks before the event. Your wave colour and start time are indicated on your run number. If you haven't received your run number or have misplaced it, visit the information point at The Guildhall at the bottom of Sandhill (Newcastle Quayside) on Saturday, September 7th, to collect a replacement. Details on the specific information points can be found on p.9 of the Event Guide!

We'd urge you to plan your journey well in advance. The start line is on the A167 near Claremont Road (postcode NE2 4AA). The three closest metro stations are 'Haymarket', 'Jesmond' & 'Monument'. From Haymarket, the start area is a 20-25 minute walk. Alternatively, parking in the city centre or South Gosforth might be an option, followed by a walk across the town moor. If you need more information on metro stations please visit p.12 of the Event Guide!

The 13.1-mile route starts in central Newcastle on the A167. As 60,000 runners cross the starting line, you'll run pass Jesmond, Haymarket, Monument, and Central Station before reaching the Tyne Bridge. Crossing the river Tyne, taking in the famous Newcastle Quayside and entering Gateshead, with a slightup hill before passing Gateshead Stadium around mile 3. At mile 6, the route shifts to the A194, leading into South Tyneside past the A19 interchange at mile 8. The A1300 takes participants past Whiteleas and Centenary Avenue, transitioning onto the A183 just past Marsden Lane at mile 12. In South Shields, with just over a mile to go you'll be running along the iconic Prince Edward Road up until the finishing gantry which will be packed with family and friends.

Make sure to stop by the Runna booth, which will be in the race village at the finish. The team will be buzzing to meet and celebrate your run with you. As the AJ Bell Great North Run is a point-to-point race, we will only be able to see you on the day so if you have any last-minute questions, make sure to message the Customer Support team on the app!

Whether you’re looking to gain some expert knowledge, recover after your run, or simply celebrate with us, the Runna booth is your go-to spot at the AJ Bell Great North Run. See you there!

It goes without saying that packing your running shoes, clothing and any nutrition you'll be taking is an essential step for your preparation! If you're travelling on the day, staying overnight or longer, you may need more items, but here are a few helpful options for race day itself.

Sometimes, tapering or a few days away from running can leave your legs feeling like they've 'forgotten how to run'! Some runners swear by a very short, very easy run the day before a race—perhaps even just a mile or 1 km—to reassure themselves that they can still put one foot in front of the other - which is absolutely fine. If in doubt, stick to your plan or reach out for some advice in the last week or two of your training. We'll have our Runna Shakeout Run the day before on Saturday 7th September, so please keep an eye out for more details on our socials and our website here, it would be great to see you there!

Your main goals with your food intake in the days before the race should be carbohydrate-heavy to top up your glycogen stores in your muscles. You should aim for ½ of your meal to be made up of carbohydrates and try to replace snacks with other carb based options. Make sure you're hydrating well with water and perhaps electrolyte drinks and sticking to simple foods you enjoy, and probably nothing too spicy! Pasta, rice, potatoes and other easily digestible carbs are perfect choices! You may find your appetite reduces a little towards the end of your taper, with the reduction in your running volume, so don't eat to discomfort, but be sure to fuel well!

For further nutrition advice please read our Ultimate Running Nutrition Guide!

For those of you running for a charity, firstly congratulations! The AJ Bell Great North Run generates a huge benefit for every charity, so well done on your amazing work! Be sure to soak in the support and well-wishes from the crowd as well as your friends and family in the lead up and on the day, you've earned it!

You may want to share a few last training updates, a few pictures, and reshare your charity donation page in the last few days, so reach out to your charity for more advice on the best way to do so too!

A picture with your medal at the finish is also a great way for some bonus donations, and you may just inspire someone else to tackle their first event too!
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Nailing your pacing can make all the difference between a strong finish and a painful last few miles. Break up the race into 3 x 7km chunks. The first 7k is the 'easy' or 'free' section. At this point, you're feeling fresh and it should be relatively easy to hold your target pace. The second 7km is the 'hard' section, by this point, you'll start to feel fatigued, focus on by the time you reach 14km you're two-thirds done!

The final 7km is the fun bit! You'll be physically tired, however, if you can get your mindset that it's the final stretch, it'll be easier to maintain good form and enjoy the rest of the race! If you've got more in the tank, increase your pace now, rather than saving it all for the final 1km.

One of the trickiest things on race day is meeting up with any friends or family who have come with you or are supporting you on the day! Leave any spectating spots planned for them, focusing on your run, and let them tell you where you might see them the night before! After being presented with your medal and goodie bag you'll find yourself on Gypsies Green by the beach in South Shields!

With the huge numbers of people all recording their runs and sending congratulatory messages and more, it's not uncommon to have problems with both your phone signal and GPS location finding/sharing. At the finish, there will be A-Z banners so you can stand by the letter corresponding to your name to meet them! Alternatively, feel free to meet them at the Runna exhibitor tent where we will be celebrating your achievement!

By now you've certainly got plenty of experience recording your runs using Runna! We'd advise using the same method as you've been training with. Due to the sheer volume of your fellow runners with their devices too, you'll perhaps find clashes and issues with your GPS. You may also find that your completed run may be a little delayed uploading to Runna, as well as GPS hiccups or more, so be sure to save your activity and try refreshing your app with a good Wi-Fi connection or strong signal a little later!

Reach out to our Customer Experience team if you have further issues, with a dedicated inbox for us to help our AJ Bell Great North Runnas!

Check out more tips on how to troubleshoot common GPS issues here too!

The 13.1mi/21.1km journey from Newcastle to South Shields is completed, you've done it! Enjoy, celebrate, recover and remember the day fondly! 🏅

Hydrating, having a snack and loosening your shoelaces are all super helpful in the immediate aftermath of your race. Pop on that warm top you packed, make sure everyone can see your medal (you've earned it!) and have a little gentle stretch. Following the typical recovery from the long runs you've completed in training might not be as easy as normal, but be sure to take care of yourself! Time to start thinking about that post-race recovery plan😉

Check out the video below for some more of our Coaches' top tips for race day!