How to get to the Great North Run 2018

The nearest bus stations to the start line are Haymarket and Eldon Square, plus many on-street bus stops

The popular Great North Run will be shortly upon us, seeing thousands of eager runners take to the streets of Newcastle, Gateshead and South Shields as part of the annual race.

If you’re attending this year’s race, either as a runner or a supporter, there are various ways in which you can make your way to the event.

Here’s a breakdown of transport options for the Great North Run 2018.

By train

The train is a great way to get to the Great North run and will take you right to heart of Newcastle, arriving at Newcastle Central Station.

If you then wanted to go to South Shields to watch the race unfold from there, the Metro station is located just in front of the train station, making this a great way of travelling out of the city to the seaside location.

Different train operators offer services from all over the county to Newcastle, so if you wanted to avoid driving to the race, this is again a great option.

Shuttle bus services will also run between the start at Newcastle and the finish at South Shields

By Coach

If you’re travelling in a large group then the coach is a great way to travel to the Great North Run. Different travels companies offer a variety of packages to suit your needs and requirements, especially if you’re running the race but travelling from afar.

Companies such as Nirvana do an ‘event, sleep and run’ option to and from various parts of the country, alongside event day transfers.

It’s worth shopping around to get the best deal to suit your needs and requirements.

By bus

The nearest bus stations to the start line are Haymarket and Eldon Square, plus many on-street bus stops.

Shuttle bus services will also run between the start at Newcastle and the finish at South Shields.

For more information on bus services visit:

arrivabus.co.uk/north-east

simplygo.com

stagecoachbus.com

nexus.org.uk

By car

Although car is also another way of getting to the Great North run, the start area is 13.1 miles away from the finish line, so it’s worth bearing this in mind and choosing where it would be best to park.

Please note: no event parking is available at the start.

As there is no official event parking available at the start, consider parking at a Metro station (Callerton Parkway, Bank Foot, Kingston Park, Regent Centre, Four Lane Ends, Northumberland Park, Heworth, Fellgate, East Boldon or Stadium of Light all have car parks) and take the Metro to the start and from the finish.

There will be also be station closures in place and advance tickets on sale to speed up passenger flows.

For more information or to plan you journey visit: nexus.org.uk

Please note: travel times and costs may change in the days leading up to the Great North Run.

By Metro

The run start is about 15 minutes’ walk from Haymarket Metro station in Newcastle and South Shields Metro station is about 20 minutes’ walk from the finish line.

Trains will be extremely busy getting both to and from the start and finish, so please expect delays and allow plenty of time.

Tyne and Wear Metro will be running additional trains from the start of service until approximately 19:00.

Additional trains have been planned for all areas of the network to get runners and spectators to the start of the run.

Once the run has started there will be a train every 7.5 minutes to South Shields. After the run there will be a train every 7.5 minutes from South Shields into Newcastle.

It’s recommended that you plan your journey in advance if possible and aim to get to your destination early, especially runners, as trains will be very busy from early on in the day.