What you need to know about Great South Run 2026

A thick crowd of runners with the red Great South Run starting line behind — About 25,000 runners take part in the Great South Run each year

Thousands of runners and spectators are expected in Portsmouth this weekend for the Great South Run.

The 10-mile (16km) race attracts elite runners as well as amateur club athletes and charity fundraisers.

Spectators line the route to cheer the 26,000 runners from the start on Avenue de Caen, through the streets of Portsmouth and Southsea, passing landmarks including HMS Victory and the Spinnaker Tower.

Race timetable - Saturday

Stars of the hit BBC show Gladiators Montell Douglas (Fire) and Karenjeet Kaur Bains (Athena) will be official race starters on Saturday before welcoming runners back with high fives and photos.

Race timetable - Sunday

Paula Radcliffe smiles after winning the BUPA Great South Run on October 26, 2008 in Portsmouth, England. Se is smiling with her blonde hair tied back. She has a white necklace and is wearing a pink vest top. — Paula Radcliffe is among the international athletes who have won the event over the years

On Sunday, the event site opens at 07:00, with assembly beginning at 09:00.

Olympic Iwan Thomas will take to the podium to officially start the 2026 Great South Run.

The fastest runners could be expected to cross the finish line shortly after 11:00.

Getting there and away

The full list of closures and times is available on the Portsmouth City Council website.

Where to watch

Runners pass by the HMS Victory masted ship in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The sky overhead is full of grey clouds. — One of the highlights of the race over the years is the section through the Historic Dockyard with HMS Victory pictured here in 2008

There is always plenty of atmosphere around the streets with drumming groups, bands and DJs pumping out rhythms to keep the runners going.

A live video stream of the race will be shown on a screen truck in the event village. There are picnic benches on Castlefield to wait for friends and relatives to complete the 10 miles.

Full details for participants and spectators can be found on the AJ Bell Great South Run website.

Race timetable - Saturday

Race timetable - Sunday

Getting there and away

Where to watch

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