Great South Run 2021: How to travel to the Great South Run in Portsmouth

The 10 mile run is back in the city this year after being cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Portsmouth welcomes thousands of runners and spectators to the city for the Great South Run and this year the main event will take place on Sunday, October 17- with the 5k, junior and mini runs taking place on Saturday, October 16.

Here is everything you need to know about getting to Portsmouth for the Great South Run this year:

Where does the Great South Run start and finish?

The 10 mile run will begin and end on Clarence Esplanade in Southsea.

Spectators and runners will need to make their way to Clarence Esplanade to either watch or take part in the event.

Full details of this year’s Great South Run route can be found here.

How can I get to the Great South Run by train?

There are three train stations in Portsmouth that are fairly close to where the Great South Run will be taking place.

These stations, which are all within walking distance, include Portsmouth Harbour (1.5 miles), Portsmouth and Southsea (1.5 miles) and Fratton (1.8 miles).

South Western Railway (SWR) recommend that runners and spectators aim to get into the city early during the course of the weekend to give them enough time to get prepared for the event.

As an official event partner, SWR are offering incredible days out, food and drink and more to celebrate those who are taking part.

For more information on the rewards, please see here.

If you wish to travel to the event by train, you can plan your journey using the SWR journey planner on their website.

By car

If you're travelling to the Great South Run by car, there will be many road closures in place from 9.30am.

A full list of road closures can be found here.

Traffic in and out of Portsmouth is limited to two main routes which include the Western entrance (M275) and the Eastern Road (A2030).

Once drivers are in the city, keep an eye on the large digital boards that will be supplying parking information.

There will be many parking locations, including over 1000 spaces on Southsea common.

For a full list of parking locations, please see here.

Park and Float

The Gosport ferry will allow a stress free way to get to Portsmouth over the Great South Run weekend.

Travellers can use the ferry by making their way to Gosport and the ticket will include parking, bus and ferry in one simple digital ticket.

Drivers will need to park at Walpole carpark and download the MiPermit app onto their smartphones then search location 708547 to buy the specific ticket.

Travellers can then either hop on the bus (the stop is opposite the South Street car park) or walk through the town centre to get to the ferry terminal.

The ferry will arrive at The Hard Interchange in Portsmouth, which is a short walk to the race area at Southsea Common.

This service will run every 15 minutes from 5.30am to 11pm over the weekend.

For more information and ticket prices for the Park and Float, please see here.

SEE ALSO: Great South Run Solo launched to raise money for Covid-19 appeal , 15 fascinating images of Gosport from the past

By bus

The organisers for the Great South run advise runners and spectators to use public transport where they can.

If you are considering taking the bus to the event, check out your local timetable here.

For more information on the Great South Run, please head over to the Great South Run website.

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