Summary

  • More than 63,000 have entered the run including the Prime Minister Andy Burnham

  • It will be the 45th time the half marathon has been held

  • Runners start in Newcastle before running over the Tyne Bridge and finish in South Shields

  • You can watch live on BBC One from 10:00 and at the top of this page

  • The elite men and main start is at 10:50

Live Reporting

Edited by Julie Cush

  1. Watch and listen live

    You can watch live coverage of the run on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer or by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

    BBC Newcastle presenter Kelly Scott is also broadcasting from the start line and you can listen here on BBC Sounds.

  2. 'The North East doesn't always get the attention it deserves'

    Andy Burnham has done the Great North Run before he became Prime Minister and says it is "the warmth, the atmosphere" he enjoys about it.

    He adds: "It's something about the city, the people, the warmth, the humour, it's just a lovely event."

    He praises run founder Brendan Foster for the "amazing event".

    "The North East doesn't always get the attention it deserves, but this event is the best of British - the Red Arrows, everything," he says.

    "And it's good for the North East to get the spotlight and it's good for the whole country to have its eyes on this wonderful part of the world today."

    Andy Burnham being interviewed on the start line of the Great North Run

  3. Burst water main in Gateshead disrupts traffic

    Pamela Tickell
    BBC News, North East and Cumbria

    There are even more road closures than planned as a water main has flooded the roundabout near the A189 Redheugh Bridge.

    Parts of the A184 in Gateshead are blocked with diversions in place.

    Northumbrian Water says there is a "considerable amount" of flooding on the road. The running route is unaffected.

    Brown water covers a roundabout, so much so that the 40mph speed limit signs are half submerged. There is a bridge overhead and grass in the foreground. There also blue and white police tape in the foreground.Supplied
    The brown flood water goes halfway along the road around roundabout. The central grassy area has tall trees on it. There is a police car on the left and another car being taken away on a truck.Supplied

  4. Increase in number of young runners

    More young people are taking part in the Great North Run than ever before, according to the event's organisers.

    Data from the Great Run Company shows the proportion of runners aged 25 and under has significantly increased over the past five years, with more than 15% of entrants now falling into that age group up from 8.7% in 2021.

    Brendan Foster has white hair and is wearing a blue and white striped shirt with a black microphone fastened to the front. In the background is the Tyne Bridge and some trees which are out of focus

    Run founder Brendan Foster said: "It was becoming a little bit of an older demographic and suddenly in the course of the last five years the amount of youngsters running, under 25, has gone to about 15% from about 7 or 8%, so that's doubled.

    "And if you look around you can kind of see why - there are lots of running clubs happening now, it's a cool thing to do, it's where they meet friends, it's where they socialise."

    The average age is 39.6 with the youngest runner 17 and the oldest 89.

    More young people taking part in Great North Run, organisers say

  5. Prime Minister is running today
    Breaking

    Here's the Prime Minister on the start line - wearing the Number 10 of course.

    Andy Burnham is a keen runner and is the first serving PM to take part in the run's history, organisers say.

    He is photographed with the race founder Brendan Foster.

    Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the start line of the Great North Run. He has his arms outstretched and is wearing a pink and purple T-shirt with Changing Lives in whiteNorth News and Pictures
    Great North Run founder Brendan Foster wearing a blue jumper with a white shirt underneath. He has his arm above his head and is holding hands with Andy Burnham who is wearing pink and purple T-shirt with Changing Lives written on itNorth News and Pictures

  6. Timetable for today

    Here is the timetable for today:

    10:00 BBC coverage starts on BBC One and the iPlayer

    10.20 Elite wheelchair athletes start

    10:25 Elite women start

    10:27 Visually impaired participants start

    10.50 Elite men and main race starts

    10:52 Red Arrows fly over the Tyne Bridge

  7. View from the finish line

    Callum Rowe
    North East & Cumbria

    This is the medal each of the runners will receive when they cross the finish line here in South Shields. It has been designed by Newcastle street artist Mul.

    The sun is warm but the wind is cool down here at the finish line. The running conditions are ideal.

    A Great North Run medal being balanced on the fingers if a hand. The ribbon is red and the medal is round with a stylised design of the Tyne Bridge and two running heart characters at either side
    The finish line of the Great North Run at South Shields, There is a red hoarding across the finish line and then hoardings on the ground directing runners into funnels

  8. How are the elite races shaping up?

    British runner Eilish McColgan will be hoping to claim her first Great North Run win.

    But she will have tough competition with reigning champion, Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui, taking part again alongside previous winner Brigid Kosgei, who is also from Kenya.

    Also returning is last year's men's champion, Kenyan Alex Mutiso (both 2025 champions are pictured below).

    Sheila Chepkirui and Alex Mutiso stand together on a balcony surrounded by blue railings with Newcastle City Centre below them. Sheila has dark hair which is in braids and Alex has short-cropped hair. They are both wearing dark purple tops with light purple sections along the arms and the three lines of the Adidas logo in fluorescent yellowNorth News

  9. The famous faces taking part

    There will be a sprinkling of famous faces among the tens of thousands of runners making their way from Newcastle to South Shields.

    • From the world of sport, former footballers and managers Chris Kamara and Peter Reid and paralympian Richard Whitehead MBE
    • Season four of BBC TV series The Traitors is well-represented with Rachel Duffy, Sam Little, Amanda Collier and Reece Ward all putting on their running vests
    • Presenters Ben Shepherd, Helen Skelton, Sophie Rayworth and Adele Roberts
    • From the world of entertainment, singer Joe McElderry, singer and TV personality Jake Quickenden, fitness coach Joe Wicks, and actors Neil Grainger and Harriett Bibby
    A composite image of Chris Kamara on the left wearing a black baseball cap, a black waterproof jacket and a black T-shirt with the words March for Men partially obscured. He is holding a black microphone in his right hand and is looking at someone who is out of the shot. On the right is Peter Reid who has white hair and is wearing a white T-shirt with the words The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation partially obscuredPA Media
    A composite image showing Rachel Duffy on the left. She has tied back fark hair with a middle parting and is wearing a light brown short-sleeved dress with a collar and white buttons. She is against a railing with her right arm resting along it. On the right hand side is Sam Little who has dark hair and is wearing a blue jumper with a white T-shirt underneath it

  10. Fancy dress on show

    Robin Davies
    North East & Cumbria

    It’s the calm before the storm.

    Runnin' by Beyoncé is blaring from the speakers.

    People in athletic wear and fancy dress walking in both directions up Claremont Rd to find their start point.

    The coffee kiosk is doing a roaring trade for those needing a last minute caffeine hit..

    Three women dressed in inflatable brown horse outfits. There are round openings in the neck where you can see their faces. They are carrying collecting buckets and have their race numbers on the front

  11. Things to look out for

    There are a few things which runners always talk about as highlights of the run:

    • Getting to the start and seeing the size of it. Both carriageways of Newcastle's Central Motorway will be a sea of runners
    • The Red Arrows. There will be a flypast over the start around the time the gun goes at 10:50. Then later they will fly over the finish line in South Shields
    • Running over the Tyne Bridge. Crossing the landmark structure always feels like a special moment. Work to restore the bridge is still under way which means it has scaffolding at the sides
    • A short time after runners have crossed the bridge they will come to a roundabout in Gateshead where the flyover used to be. Most of it has now been dismantled which means where runners used to run underneath the flyover, now it is uncovered
    • One of the loveliest things about the run is the support of the crowds. They will be lining the route handing out things like sweets to help keep runners' energy levels high and shouting words of encourgament
    • When you get to South Shields and see the North Sea is a lovely moment. A short sharp descent and then you turn left towards the finish line - just remember it's quite a long finish straight although there are loads of crowds to keep you going
    A close-up of seven Red Arrows jets flying in formation. The jest are red with patches of white on the bottom of the jet and on the tail fin. They are letting out plumes of smoke with each jet letting out either a trail of red, white or blue smokePA Media

  12. Great North Run being held for 45th time

    Prepare for an explosion of colour and pounding feet as tens of thousands of runners take part in the Great North Run.

    It is the 45th time the famous half marathon has been held with runners taking on the route which starts in Newcastle and finishes in South Shields. More than 63,00 people have entered.

    Stick with us as we bring you the sights and sounds of the event which is a highlight of the Geordie calendar.

    We'll bring you the stories of some of those taking part and plenty of photos so you can get a feel for what makes it such a well-loved event.

  13. The calm before the storm...

    A view of Newcastle Central Motorway from earlier this morning.

    Quite a different scene from how it will look soon when everyone starts streaming in and filling up the starting pens.

    What is usually one of the busiest roads in Newcastle has been closed since last night with teams working through the night to get the start line ready.

    Feeling excited yet?

    The Central Motorway in Newcastle prepared for the start of the Great North Run. Both carriageways are empty except for two cars at the side. In the distance is the hoardings across the start line which is a red block in the middle of two turquoise blocks. There are different coloured advertising hoardings on either side of the road