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About RaceIndexOur methodologyData coverageCyclingTriathlon
  • Half Marathon
  • 21.1 km
  • Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Event weekend starts
  • Entry from £68
  • Past event

Great North Run Half Marathon

This race edition

Race date
Date not confirmed for this distance
Race timezone
Timezone not confirmed
Edition status
Status not confirmed

Entry options

2026 edition

Entry options are not yet confirmed for this edition. Check the organiser before making plans.

Modelled energy-cost change -0.6% versus flat · net elevation -32 m · true cost £198

View verified GPS mapOfficial event website ↗
Plan my trainingPlan my paceData current as of

Decision summary

Great North Run Half Marathon at a glance

Route ascent
80 m

Lower than 83% of comparable mapped races

Entry fee
£68

Lower than 3% of comparable known fees

Typical conditions
79/100

Historical race-date favourability, not a forecast

Evidence depth
37 verified facts

Stored GPS route

Quick answers

What runners ask first

Great North Run Half Marathon route map

raceindex.org has a GPS course file for Great North Run Half Marathon, so runners can inspect the route line on the map. Elevation charts and ascent figures appear only when that file includes usable elevation data.

How hilly is the Great North Run Half Marathon?

The Great North Run Half Marathon route has 80 m of ascent, 111 m of descent and an estimated -0.6% grade-adjusted pace penalty versus a flat route.

Where does the Great North Run Half Marathon route go?

The Great North Run Half Marathon route starts at A167 Central Motorway, Newcastle upon Tyne and finishes at South Shields seafront. Underfoot, expect road. It passes Tyne Bridge (approx. mile 2), Gateshead (miles 3-10), Jarrow and South Shields seafront (final mile). 5K, 10K, and 15K timing mats on course.

What should runners know on race day for the Great North Run Half Marathon?

The event uses closed-road arrangements. 5K, 10K, and 15K timing mats on course.

Race character

Scenery

  • Coastal
  • Riverside
  • City
  • Historic
  • Waterfront

Atmosphere

  • Big City
  • Festival
  • Charity

Terrain

  • Road
Elevation character
Gently Rolling
Technicality
Non Technical
Source-stated ascent
130 m

The stored route produces 80 m of ascent, while a source states 130 m. GPS sampling and elevation models can produce different totals, so both are labelled rather than combined.

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Men's course record
58:56 (Martin Mathathi)
Women's course record
1:04:28 (Brigid Kosgei)
Field size
60,000

Entry requirements

Entry status
Past event: The listed edition date has passed.
Ballot
Yes
Qualification status
None
Fee tiers
Standard entry, Charity place registration fee

Race day logistics

Closed roads
Yes
Medal
Yes
Finisher tee
Yes

Access and course status

Start
A167 Central Motorway, Newcastle upon Tyne
Finish
South Shields seafront

Course facts

Course type
Point To Point
Surface
Road
Laps
1
Landmarks
Tyne Bridge (approx. mile 2), Gateshead (miles 3-10), Jarrow, South Shields seafront (final mile)
Notable features
  • Undulating terrain through Gateshead miles 3-10
  • long downhill run toward coast in final miles
  • 5K, 10K, and 15K timing mats on course

How hilly is the Great North Run Half Marathon?

91%
  • Descent 5%
  • Flat 91%
  • Climb 4%
  • Steep climb 0%
Total ascent
80 m
Net elevation
−32 m
GAP factor
-0.6%
Longest climb
3,100 m at 1.1%
Gradient mix and ascent are derived from the course geometry under our published normalisation, not taken from organiser marketing.

What does it really cost to run?

Estimated cost to the start line from National Average
Entry fee£68
Travel (modelled)£40
Accommodation (modelled)£90
Estimated total£198
Entry fee is a sourced fact. Travel and accommodation are modelled estimates for a typical runner from this region, not quoted prices.

What are typical race-day conditions?

  • 14°CTypical temperature
  • 20 kphTypical wind
  • 2 mmTypical rainfall
  • 79Favourability /100
Typical conditions for the race date and locality, warmer than the endurance-optimal window. These are climatological norms, not a forecast, and are shared across every distance at this event.

More race details

Is the Great North Run Half Marathon flat?

Its normalised GAP factor is -0.6% slower than a flat course, with about 80 m of total ascent.

How much does the Great North Run Half Marathon cost?

The adult entry fee is £68, and the estimated true cost to the start line is about £198 including modelled travel and accommodation.

How we calculated this

Published facts and derived model outputs on this page are tied to stored sources or a published, version-locked methodology. We show the provenance so runners, coaches and organisers can check it. Data on this page is current as of .

Derived numbers use scoring-methodology-v1.0.

Sources used on this page (3)

Read the full methodology →

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