The most recent edition on this page is dated Sep 13, 2026. The next edition date is not locked here yet. Use the historical race-morning weather on this page for planning until the next date is published.
Half
Great North Run
Sunday, September 13, 2026Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK
Goal time
1:35:00
Adjusted time (preview)
Impacts
Based on the historical mean for the race window over the last 10 years, ±5 days.
Elevation
Heat
Wind
Total Impact
Race Pass: personalised finish time, adjusted splits, and your race-day pacing plan.
Insight
Great North Run preview.
Officially a downhill course, so records don't count. It doesn't feel like one. The real swing is the point-to-point wind.
Read the preview
Race morning history
Last 10 years, around the 10:50 start hour. Typical mid-September air averages 15°C (about 10°C to 20°C in that window). The bands are that history, not a forecast range. Hover or drag to explore.
Race-morning temperature
Most mornings
13-18°C
Almost all
11-19°C
Humidity
67%
Dew
9°C
WBGT
14°C
15°CAverage
10:50-12:25
Almost all (90%)Most mornings (70%)AverageRain
Year pills: green is favorable heat. Amber is moderate. Red is challenging.
Blue is most mornings. Dashed lines are the rare tails. Pink is the average. The bands are historical race mornings, not a forecast range. Blue columns are rain on the right scale. This assumes a 1:35. You can set your own time in the app.
Typical race-morning wind
Where the wind usually came from on race morning, not where it was going.
W
Most frequent (27%)
Wind speed
0-6 km/h
6-13 km/h
13-21 km/h
21+ km/h
Year pills: green is favorable wind. Amber is moderate. Red is challenging. Colours assume no drafting.
A start that feels cool is not a promise about the second half.
How this course changes your pace
People call it downhill because you finish below the start. Officially it is. It does not feel like one. A cool first mile is still not permission to spend the drop.
- Officially "downhill", yet 92% of the course sits between -2% and +2%. Named climbs average about 1.0 to 1.4%. Length is the cost, not steepness: the drag from 5 to 8 km, then John Reid Road again before the coast.
- About 81 m of climbing and 112 m of descent (course sits roughly 14 m to 62 m). Net downhill on paper. Same honest effort still covers a wide pace range.
- One watch pace is a poor plan. A kilometre can run about 10s quicker than target, then more than 10s slower later.
The useful race plan:
- Don't spend the opening downhill.
- Expect the stretch to 8 km to feel slow. That's the course, not the race falling apart.
- Use 10 to 12 km. Don't surge.
- Keep something for the coast. Heat has had time to build, and a helpful wind can stop after the seafront turn.
Typical race window
10 editions, five days either side, 440 hours from 10:00 to 13:00. This is the usual window, not a weather station for Sunday. The bands are historical race mornings, not a forecast range.
- Typical hour: about 15.7°C
- About 1 in 5 hours sit at 13°C or cooler
- About 1 in 10 reaches 20°C
- It still warms: 14.7°C at 10:00 to 16.7°C at 13:00
- 2023 is the sticky outlier: about 20.6°C, dew point about 17.6°C
A start that feels comfortable is not a promise about South Shields.
Wind impact
For a 1:30 half, 2025 costs you about +1:03 / +1.18% if you run it alone. Sit in a pack and that is nearly wiped (+0:02). An example at that pace, not everyone's cost.
| Edition | Solo | In a pack |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +1:03 / +1.18% | +0:02 |
| West wind | 17 of 110 samples. Familiar, not the default. | |
A following westerly is familiar here. It is not the default. The seafront turn also changes what the same wind means.
Full notes in the Great North Run preview.
Related races
Same city, region or country, when we can resolve them. World majors also point to each other.
- Aberdeen Half Marathon
- ABP Newport Half Marathon
- AJ Bell Great Scottish Run
- Altra Kielder Half Marathon
- Anglesey Half Marathon
- Antrim Coast Half Marathon
- Bath Half Marathon
- Belfast City Half Marathon
View race map for this area.
Pacing and conditions FAQ
Beyond conditions
Conditions are only part of the race-day loss
Pacing mistakes often add several minutes, sometimes more than conditions alone, especially when the course and conditions are not ideal.
What your plan includes
Everything you need to turn this race preview into a usable race-day plan.
Personalized pacing
Effort and pace guidance tuned to this course profile.
Weather-adjusted splits
Split targets that account for heat, wind, and elevation.
Heat adaptation & drafting
Adjust for your heat tolerance and drafting preferences.
Get your personalised race plan for Great North Run.
Pacing, splits, and race-day strategy personalised to your fitness and this course.
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