Red Arrows remain in talks with Great North Run organisers surrounding 2026 event
Discussions are still in place to see if the Red Arrows will be a part of the 2026 Great North Run.
The Red Arrows and Great North Run organisers remain in talks to see if the display group will appear at the 2026 Great North Run.
The annual half marathon sees 60,000 people run the iconic route between Newcastle and the coastline at South Shields.
Many traditions have been built around the race, which is the world’s largest half marathon based on number of participants. One of the most recognisable is the two appearances of the RAF’s world famous display team.
One of the race’s most iconic sights sees the Red Arrows fly over the Tyne Bridge before appearing again at South Shields seafront for a full display over the North Sea.
The group’s appearance this year is yet to be confirmed, although plans are in place with hopes they will appear.
The Red Arrows usually release their summer schedule months in advance, with the majority of dates now announced.
However, the date of the Great North Run remains free in the group’s plans for the remainder of the year.
Alongside the date of the race, Sunday, September 13, the Red Arrows’ website says: “Activity to be confirmed.”
A statement from the Great Run Company, the organisation which runs the Great North Run said: “We are still in discussions with the Red Arrows team about format for their inclusion in the 2026 event. We will make an announcement in due course.”
The 2025 edition of the event saw the Red Arrows confirmed in the April before the race.
They were not available for 2024’s event due to the team being on a tour of North America and Canada. Before this the last time they did not appear was in 2021, when organisers announced a more muted event due to the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The half marathon is the culmination of a series of events hosted by the Great Run Company in Tyne and Wear. The first is the Great North 10k, which takes place on Sunday, July 5.
The Great North 5k then takes place on Friday, September 11 and youth races take place on Saturday, September 12.