Every October the streets of Portsmouth fill with thousands of runners for the Great South Run, the biggest running day on the south coast. Ten flat miles loop out from Southsea and back along the seafront, past warships and funfairs and a wall of noise, which is why it draws everyone from first-timers to Olympians.
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It is a famously fast, friendly race, and a brilliant one to run or simply watch. Here is how the day works, what the course has in store and how to get yourself a place.
Ten flat and fast miles
The race is ten miles long and barely climbs a step, which is a big part of its appeal. The start line sits in Southsea, and the opening miles run along Clarence Esplanade and the seafront, past Clarence Pier, Nelson’s statue and the Spinnaker Tower rising over the harbour.
From there the course threads through the Historic Dockyard, where HMS Victory looms over the runners, before winding past the old town and its castles. The last stretch is a long, straight run back along the seafront to the finish, with the sea on one side and crowds on the other. Few city races pack this much scenery into ten miles.
A course built for fast times
That flat profile makes the Great South Run one of the quickest ten-mile races anywhere, and over the years it has drawn world-class fields and some blistering times. Watching the elite runners come through in the first wave, barely seeming to touch the ground, is worth getting to the barriers early for.
For most people, of course, it is not about the clock. The point is the atmosphere, the charity vests and the shared sense of having run through the heart of the city with the sea at your shoulder.
Who takes part, and the weekend events
This is a race for everyone, not just the fast. Many thousands line up for the ten miles, from club runners chasing a personal best to walkers and fundraisers in fancy dress, and the roadside support carries you round. It is one of the biggest mass participation events the city sees all year.
The ten miles is not the only thing on. The weekend usually includes a shorter run for those not ready for the full distance, plus junior and mini events for children, so a whole family can take part across the two days. A few things worth knowing before you commit:
- the main event is ten miles, flat and fully road-closed;
- there are shorter runs over the weekend for adults and for children;
- places are capped and the race has sold out in recent years, so enter early;
- it is held in October, so pack for anything from sun to a sea breeze.
How to enter and what to expect
Entries go through the official Great Run website rather than on the day, and popular years fill up months ahead. Once you are in, you are given a start wave based on your expected pace, which keeps the ten miles flowing rather than bunched. A quick summary:
| Distance | Ten miles, flat and fast |
| Where | Starts and finishes in Southsea |
| When | October, check the year’s date |
| Entry | Online in advance, sells out |
| Also on | Shorter and junior runs over the weekend |
One thing every first-timer here soon learns.
The first two miles by the sea fly by, so keep something back for the long, straight drag home.
Getting there and race day
Road closures ring the seafront on race day, so leave the car at home if you can and arrive by train, then walk down to the start. Spectators get a grandstand view all along Southsea seafront, which is the best place to catch your runner more than once as the course loops back.
Whether you are chasing a time or just soaking it up, the Great South Run shows off Portsmouth at its best. Pick a dry October morning, line up by the sea, and ten miles have rarely passed so quickly.
