Great South Run: What to expect on Sunday as thousands of runners head to Southsea - the organiser's guide

This weekend sees the return of the Great South Run - known as the world’s greatest 10-mile event - to Portsmouth and Southsea. Here’s the organiser’s guide about what to expect in a year which is tied in with the Portsmouth100 celebrations in the city.

As Great Run says: “Since the very first event in 1990, a special relationship has developed between the people of Portsmouth and the Great South Run, which is even more prevalent this year.

“Over the last three decades, the Great South Run has built an local legacy with countless incredible moments and achievements, tens of millions of pounds raised for charity, and British and European records broken along the route.

“At what will be the biggest Great South Run weekend celebration of running, over 26,000 runners of all ages will take part, cheered on as always by the unbeatable Pompey supporters who always line the course in their thousands.”

Anniversary medal

The Portsmouth 100/P100 branding features on this year’s AJ Bell Great South Run finisher medals and participant T-shirts, giving runners a unique keepsake from a landmark year for the city.

The 2026 medal design celebrates Portsmouth’s identity and heritage, featuring the city’s iconic star and crescent emblem alongside details inspired by the city, including the Spinnaker Tower, Mary Rose and Portsmouth’s naval heritage.

Follow the action

The excitement of the AJ Bell Great South Run will be broadcast live on the GreatRunTV YouTube channel from 9.50am on Sunday.

Coverage will follow thousands of participants from the start on Avenue de Caen, through the streets of Portsmouth and Southsea and all the way to the finish, as well as capturing the elite action from the UKA 10-Mile Championships.

Broadcaster Lloyd Kempson and Olympian Chris Thompson, the most decorated winner in Great South Run history, will guide viewers through the day and bring all the key moments to life.

A super Saturday build-up featuring Gladiators

The AJ Bell Great South 5k is the perfect kick off to the Great South Run weekend. From 9am, runners will enjoy stunning sea views, lovely fresh sea air and an amazing support along a fast and flat route.

Mini and junior runners can enjoy a piece of the action too! Minis aged 3-8 will run a fun and energetic 1.2km, whilst Juniors aged 9-15yrs complete a 2.5km route before receiving a very special and well-earned medal at the finish line.

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.

Step into Tyney’s Town

There’s even more fun in store at the Junior and Mini Great South Run, with the new Tyney’s Town coming to the event village on Saturday. Get ready to play giant Jenga, beanbag toss, Connect 4 and plenty more brilliant garden games. Gather your family and friends and come join the fun!

Race starter

Olympian Iwan Thomas MBE will take to the starters podium on Sunday to officially start this year’s AJ Bell Great South Run. One of Britain’s fastest 400 metre runners of all time, Thomas represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games, and Wales at the Commonwealth Games and is a European, Commonwealth Games and World 4 × 400 metres relay Champion. A regular at the Great South Run joining the masses who take on the 10-mile course, this will be Iwan’s first year on official starter duties.

UK Athletics 10-mile championships

While thousands of runners will be chasing their own Great South Run goals, some of the country’s best distance runners will be racing for national honours as the event once again hosts the UK Athletics 10 Mile Championships which starts at 10.15am on Sunday.

Bringing elite racing to the streets of Portsmouth, this race gives spectators the chance to see leading male and female British athletes go head to head over the famous 10-mile course, including last year’s Great South Run champion Verity Ockenden who is returning to defend her title.

Take a trip down the Country Mile

The Country Mile will transport you straight to Nashville with a feel-good soundtrack packed with country favourites. Expect everything from Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers to Beyoncé and Morgan Wallen. Bring your best energy and get ready for a proper yeehaw moment on the course!

An atmosphere like no other

Nothing gets the legs pumping like the incredible Pompey support that lines the course with sweets and cheers. And that’s not all: we’ve also got music along the route to keep a smile on your face and those feet pounding the pavement.

Batala return with their unmistakable drums, while Rose and Thistle will bring even more live energy to the route. Keep an eye out for Karaoke Kicks hosts Clare Daloon and Aura Jay, and listen out for the Beats Boost and Pump It Up trucks blasting out crowd-pleasing anthems.

Soak up the Event Village atmosphere

On Sunday, the live-stream show will be shown on a screen truck in the event village, alongside plenty of music. Take a seat at the picnic benches on Castlefield, enjoy the show and soak up the atmosphere. It’s also the perfect place to wait for friends and family as they complete their Great South Run.

Take a seat in the Share Chair

New to this year’s event village on both Saturday and Sunday, the Share Chair is your chance to take a seat on the beanbag and share your story. Say what inspired you to take part and the reasons behind your run.

Breathtaking views and landmarks

Stunning running takes on new meaning with a course packed with panoramic coastal views, miles of glorious seafront and iconic landmarks including Southsea Castle, HMS Victory, Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, The Spinnaker Tower and more.

Sustainable initiatives

As well as organising event day clothing collections, all runners are being asked to Drink, Drain, Aim, and use the Aqua Pura recycling stations on the route. Unwanted shoes can br brought on the race day and dropped off at the shoe recycling collection points to keep them out of landfill.

Download the app

Whether you’re a runner or spectator, don’t miss a second of the Great South Run action - download the Great Run Event Day app.

If you’re running on Sunday then the app will give you all the key info at your fingertips, plus speedy access to your finish time result. If you’re watching from the sidelines, then all you need is a participant’s name or run number and you can track multiple runners at the same time. Thanks to timing mats at intervals along the course you’ll be able to track your runner’s pace and expected finish time, plus donate to chosen charities.

Search ‘Great Run’ and download the app for free on the App Store or Google Play.

Plan your journey

For those planning on driving to the event, there are some diversions in place due to planned local road closures. From 9pm on Saturday to 6am on Monday the A27 westbound from Emsworth (Warblington) to Langstone will be closed. Find out more here.

Great Run organisers recommend using Portsmouth's Park & Ride PR4 service to Southsea Common, which starts from Tipner, just off the M275. With fares from just £5 for up to five people, car sharing offers great value. For more click here.