Great North Run 2023: Everything we know about the half marathon including route, times, pacers and more

Training plans across the North East and wider areas may now be finalised and anyone preparing to run the Great North Run will now be finalising their preparations for the big day.

There is now less than a week until the huge half marathon takes over Newcastle, Gateshead and South Tyneside and race organisers recently sent additional information to all runners who will be taking part. This is everything we know so far about the 2023 Great North Run.

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When is the 2023 Great North Run?

This year’s Great North Run will take place on Sunday, September 10.

How long is the Great North Run?

The route, which runs from Newcastle to South Shields, is a half marathon course. This is 13.1 miles or 21 kilometers.

What is the Great North Run route for 2023?

The route according to Great Run’s website will remain the same as the 2022 edition of the race, which will see runners start on the A167 next to the Town Moor before following the road east around the city centre and over the Tyne Bridge into Gateshead. From here they will take a left onto Park Lane until they reach the intersection with Leam Lane. Following this road through South Tyneside, they will reach a roundabout taking them onto John Reid Road and Prince Edward Road before the final stretch runs along the Coast Road in South Shields.

What time will the Great North Run start?

This year the race will begin at 11am.

Will the Red Arrows be at the 2023 Great North Run, and when will they fly?

Organisers have confirmed the Red Arrows will be making a return to the event.

The team did not perform at the 2022 edition of the event following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and only flew over the Tyne Bridge in 2021 due to the out-and-back nature of the route for the first iteration of the race since the Covid pandemic.

Runners also missed out on the group in 2020 due to the cancellation of the event and 2019 with the RAF citing commitments abroad as the reason behind the aerobatic team missing the run.

Runners and spectators should look to the skies at 11:30am on race day when the team are expected to fly over the Tyne Bridge. They will then head to South Shields to get ready for a 1:45pm display on the coastline.

Can I still sign up to run the 2023 Great North Run?

Unfortunatly all places have now been taken for this year’s event and numebrs cannot be transferred between people. Anyone wanting to take part will now need to wait until the 2024 iteration of the event.

How can I track runners using the Great North Run app?

The Great North Run app is now available to download on the Apple and Google Play stores. Anyone wanting to track their loved ones can search by name or race number.

Are there pacers at the Great North Run?

Pacers will be in place throughout the starting waves at this year’s event. They will assist runners and will be offering support from a one hour 30 minutes finish to a two hour 45 minute finish. Pacers will be available for every five minutes of goal time.