Great South Canine Run 2019: date, starting time, how to sign up and route

Part of the Simplyhealth Great South Run weekend, here’s everything you need to know about the Simplyhealth Canine Run 2019.

Where and when is the run?

The run will take place on Saturday October 19 at the Clarence Esplanade.

The Southsea Common Car Park will open at 7.30am, the event site and information point will open at 8am and the run itself will start at 9am.

Runners must be aged 18 or over and you are only allowed one dog per participant.

Canine checklist

In order to sign up for the event, you’ll need to make sure your dog fulfils the canine checklist listed on the event page.

Your dog must be:

- A least one year old

- Fit, healthy and able to run 2.5km

- Sociable with other dogs and humans

- Not in season

- On a lead or harness at all times

- Fully vaccinated

- Wearing a name tag and collar

It is advised that your dog does not eat their morning meal two hours before the event, but are given food afterwards instead.

There will be water provided for your pooch at the start and finish line, but you can also bring your own water and a portable drinking bowl if you’d prefer.

Owners are asked to bring poo bags with them on the day and pick up after their dog. There will be a zero tolerance policy being enforced and anybody seen not complying will be asked to leave the site.

Muzzles that restrict the dogs’ ability to breathe freely or pant are recommended against by the event guide, but Baskerville style muzzles are permitted.

Owners are also asked not to use flexi or extendable leads as these can get tangled.

There will also be no-dog zones on the event site and owners are asked to respect that.

In the case of an injury, there will be a medical tent on site with qualified vets available to all the dogs - you are asked, however, that you have your vet’s details with you just in case.

How to sign up

If this sounds like the perfect activity for you and your furry friend, then all you need to do to sign up is head over to the Great South Canine Run website.

From there, you’ll get the opportunity to either log in if you’re an existing customer, or to register for an account if this is your first time signing up.

For those looking to register, you’ll need to provide basic personal details, including your email address, name, date of birth and a contact phone number. You’ll also need to choose a username, password and a security question.

Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be able to enter the Simplyhealth Canine Run 2019.

You need to provide the following information to sign up for the event:

- An emergency contact, including name and mobile number

- Your dog's breed

- Your dog's name

- The size of the finisher t-shirt you’d like, which includes the option of small (38”), medium (42”), large (46”) and extra large (48”)

You’ll also be able to state whether or not you’d like to run for Simplyhealth’s nominated charity, Diabetes UK - if you select yes, your contact details will be passed on to the charity where they will be in touch to arrange signing up for their fundraising pack.

The next stage of signing up is to pay the fee to enter the event - the cost of entering is £15.

The route

This is the official route of the run according to the Great Run website:

- Starts on Clarence Esplanade, opposite the Skate Park

- Head west past the D-Day museum and and Blue Reef Aquarium

- You’ll reach a turnaround point next to Mozzarella Joes before heading up Serpentine Way and down Lady’s Mile to reach Avenue De Caen

- You’ll then cross the finish line on Clarence Esplanade