Both ballots are closed — your options now
The AJ Bell Great North Run 2026 runs on Sunday 13 September — 60,000 runners from Newcastle Town Moor to South Shields seafront. The September 2025 ballot closed on 14 September 2025. The January ballot closed on 11 January 2026. Both draws have already taken place. If you have a place and can't use it, here's what's left:
| Option | Available? | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer to another runner | ❌ Not permitted | — | Great North Run does not allow person-to-person transfers under any circumstances. |
| Medical refund | ✅ With certificate | ~July 2026 (10 weeks before race day) | Doctor's note, physio letter, or appointment letter required. £5 admin fee deducted. |
| Defer to 2027 | ✅ Yes | Before 6pm, 12 Sep 2026 | Withdraw your 2026 entry, get guaranteed 2027 place without re-entering the ballot. No refund on 2026 fee. |
| Charity places (if you need a place) | ✅ Some still available | Varies by charity | Registration fees from £30, fundraising commitments from £300. |
| Simply not run | ✅ Always an option | — | DNS on your record, entry fee forfeited. No further consequence. |
Medical refund — with certificate, up to 10 weeks out
The Great North Run's medical refund is one of the more specific policies among major UK running events. A refund is available if a medical issue prevents you from running — but only up to 10 weeks before race day. For the 13 September 2026 event, that means the medical refund deadline is approximately 8 July 2026.
To apply:
- Contact the Great Run Company via the contact form at greatrun.org/contact
- Provide your full name, date of birth, and postcode
- Submit medical documentation — a copy of a doctor's note, hospital appointment letter, or physiotherapist's notes are all accepted
- A £5 admin fee is deducted from the refund
Once the 10-week window passes, no refund is available for any reason — including injury or medical issues. If you're injured in late July or August and can't run, your only option at that point is to defer to 2027 (still available until 6pm the day before the race) or simply not attend. Don't wait to see if you recover before making the call — if you need the refund, claim it while the window is open.
Defer to 2027 — guaranteed entry, skip the ballot
This is the Great North Run's standout option compared to most other major UK events. If you withdraw your 2026 entry, you receive a guaranteed place in the 2027 Great North Run — without needing to enter either ballot window. This is a genuine skip-the-queue benefit for one of the most oversubscribed events in the UK.
The mechanics:
- No refund — your 2026 entry fee is forfeited entirely. This is not a refund option — it's a forward-entry guarantee in exchange for giving up your 2026 place.
- Deadline: withdrawal requests must be submitted before 6pm on Saturday 12 September 2026 (the day before the race). No withdrawals after this time.
- How to request: contact Great Run Company via the contact form, include your full name, date of birth, and postcode, and state that you wish to withdraw your entry for a guaranteed 2027 place.
- What happens next: you'll be contacted in November 2026 with instructions to register and pay the standard 2027 entry fee.
- 2027 entry fee: you pay the standard entry fee at the time — your 2026 fee does not carry over.
London, Manchester, Brighton — none of them offer a guaranteed next-year entry on withdrawal. The Great North Run is an exception. If you're uncertain about 2026 but definitely want to run the GNR at some point, deferring and locking in a 2027 guaranteed spot is often better than sitting on an entry you might miss.
Charity places — still available from £30
If you need a place (rather than trying to exit one), charity is the main remaining route into GNR 2026. The race works with hundreds of partner charities — everything from national organisations like the British Heart Foundation and Great Ormond Street Hospital to local North East charities.
The structure varies by charity, but the typical pattern is:
- Registration fee: £30–£65 depending on the charity (paid upfront to the charity)
- Fundraising commitment: minimum £300–£400 (varies by charity, excludes Gift Aid)
- What you get: guaranteed race entry, charity running vest, charity support at the event, often a cheer station and Charity Village access at the finish in South Shields
British Heart Foundation charity places for 2026 are already sold out. Cancer Research UK and some other major charities sell out their GNR allocations quickly. If you're looking for a charity place now (May 2026), contact smaller and mid-size charities first — they often have places available later and have lower (or more achievable) fundraising targets. Check the official Great Run charity partner list for the full picture.
No person-to-person transfers
Unlike Edinburgh Marathon, which runs an official transfer portal, the Great North Run does not permit person-to-person bib transfers. There is no mechanism to pass your place to another runner — officially or unofficially.
Bibs do appear on Facebook groups and running marketplaces. If the official transfer window doesn't exist (and for GNR it doesn't), there is no legitimate bib-swap. Running under another runner's name is a breach of event terms and can result in disqualification and being banned from future events. Your name on the race number also matters in a medical emergency — race staff use it to identify you on a 13-mile closed-road course.
GNR accommodation — the other problem runners face
Even if you sort your race entry, GNR weekend has a second problem: accommodation. 60,000 runners, tens of thousands of supporters, and a medium-sized city. Newcastle hotels on GNR weekend are among the most expensive and oversubscribed of any race weekend in the UK. Runners report paying £230+ for a student room that would cost £60 any other weekend. Hotels near the start (Newcastle city centre, Jesmond) and near the finish (South Shields seafront) book out within hours of ballot results being sent.
The smart zones:
| Zone | Best for | Transport to start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle city centre / Jesmond | Runners — walkable to start | 10 min walk to Town Moor | Most expensive. Books out fastest. Jesmond has metro access and good food/drink scene. |
| South Shields seafront | Spectators watching the finish | Metro + ferry from Newcastle | At the finish line. Good if you're also watching the elite finish. Avoid driving — roads close. |
| Gateshead | Runners and spectators | Metro to Newcastle | Metro-linked. Often cheaper than Newcastle. Course passes through Gateshead around miles 3–7. |
| Tynemouth / Whitley Bay | Spectators and value seekers | ~25 min metro to Newcastle | Coastal, good pubs. Cheaper than Newcastle. Locals also use the metro so trains are busy race day. |
| Durham / Darlington | Budget — last resort | 30–45 min by train | Significantly cheaper (£100 vs £230+). Trains still running race morning. Not ideal but workable. |
GNR weekend is one of the highest-demand accommodation weekends in the North East. If you live near the route — Newcastle, Gateshead, Jesmond, South Shields, Tynemouth — and have a spare room, a sofa bed, or an already-booked place you're not fully using, BibBuddy connects you with runners who need somewhere to stay. You don't have to be a runner yourself. See how hosting runners works →
Running GNR 2026? Find race weekend accommodation.
Newcastle and South Shields on GNR weekend. Hotels sell out fast and prices spike. BibBuddy connects runners with hosts near the start and finish — spare rooms, shared flats, whole places for race weekend.
Browse GNR Race Weekend Stays →Free to browse · Built by runners, for runners
Alternative UK half marathons
If you've deferred to 2027 and want a race this autumn, or if charity entry isn't viable, here are the closest UK alternatives to GNR:
| Event | Date | Entry | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great North Run 2027 | September 2027 | Deferred guaranteed or two ballots | If you defer, you skip both ballot windows entirely. |
| Great Manchester Run (half) | May 2026 (just run) | Open entry | Great Run Company event. Flat, fast, city centre. Already run for 2026. |
| Royal Parks Half Marathon | October 2026 | Ballot (check status) | London. Hyde Park, St James's Park, Kensington Gardens. Iconic autumn route. |
| Great South Run (10 miles) | October 2026 | Open entry (Great Run) | Portsmouth seafront. 10 miles, not a half — but same Great Run atmosphere. |
| Plusnet Yorkshire Half Marathon | September/October 2026 | Open entry | Leeds. Strong northern alternative, manageable travel from Newcastle. |
Frequently asked questions
I missed both ballots. Can I still get a place in GNR 2026?
Charity entry is your only remaining option. Many charities still have 2026 places available, with registration fees from £30 and fundraising commitments from £300. Popular charities like British Heart Foundation have already sold out, but smaller charities often have places available well into the summer. Check the Great Run Company's official charity partner list at greatrun.org.
I'm injured but it's after July — can I still defer rather than get a refund?
Yes — the deferral option (guaranteed 2027 place) is available up until 6pm on the day before the race (12 September 2026), regardless of the medical refund deadline. If you're injured after the medical refund window closes, deferring to 2027 is still available. You won't get any money back for 2026, but you'll have a guaranteed 2027 place without going through the ballot.
Can I defer and then also enter the 2027 ballot, giving me two shots at a 2027 place?
Technically you could apply for both, but you can only hold one place. If you're selected in the ballot after already securing a deferred place, you'd need to cancel one of the entries. The deferred guaranteed place is generally the better outcome — you can secure it now rather than hoping for the ballot.
What's the GNR GNR Membership option — is it relevant?
GNR Membership gives long-standing runners a guaranteed entry route without needing to enter the ballot, in exchange for an annual membership fee. Membership places for the 2026 event are sold out and the deadline for existing members to secure their entry has passed. This is not an option for 2026 at this point — but if you're planning long-term, membership is worth considering for future years.
Will accommodation near Newcastle be available in September?
Some will be, but the race weekend is one of the most competitive hotel weekends in the North East. Prices spike significantly — what costs £60 on a normal weekend can cost £200-£300+ on GNR weekend. Jesmond (walkable to the start, lots of bars and restaurants, metro access) is the best area if you can still find something. South Shields (finish line) and Durham/Darlington (30-45 mins by train, much cheaper) are the main alternatives. Book as soon as you confirm your race plans.