Great South Run 2023: Everything you need to know about travelling to Portsmouth including parking options

The event will be taking place in Southsea this weekend and the main run will be on October 15 with the gates opening at 7am.

There will also be the 5km run as well as the children’s races which will all take place on Saturday 14, October.

If you are travelling into the city, there are a number of places where you can park your car or bike and there is also a park and ride option.

It must be noted that due to major roadworks the A3 will be closed this weekend between Junction 10 of the M25 and the A247.

SEE ALSO: Road closures over the Great South Run weekend

Cycling

If you are going to be biking to the event this year, there are options for bike storage but the event have advised that this option is limited and those who leave their bikes are doing so at their own risk.

There is also the option to rent an electric or push bike through Beryl. For more information, click here.

Park and Ride

Those travelling to the event are encouraged to use the Park & Ride PR3 bus, which will be running a shuttle service to and from Clarence Pier before and after the run. During the run, on Saturday the bus will go to Pembroke Road and on Sunday it will go to the city centre. One ticket is needed per parked vehicle, allowing up to five passengers shuttle bus access all day for £4.

Councillor Gerald Vernon Jackson, Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation, said: “The Great South Run is a fabulous event, and always means a busy weekend in Portsmouth. We are looking forward to welcoming runners and spectators to our seaside city and are asking people to consider alternative ways of travelling including making the most of the Portsmouth Park and Ride, and walking, cycling or renting an e-scooter where possible."

For more information on how to book a space, click here.

Parking

There will be one temporary car park which will be located on Castle Field, Southsea. If you are travelling to the site by car, the road closures will come into effect at 9:30am on Sunday.

You will not be able to enter the car park after 9:45am and you will not be able to leave until 12:30pm at the earliest. If you are going to be arriving later and need somewhere to park, there is parking in the centre of the city.

Parking locations near the site include the D-Day Museum car park and the Clarence Esplanade car park.

If you are looking to park in the centre of the city, there are a number of car parks including Gunwharf Quays and Cascades car park.

There are places to park all over the city including:

1. Hanway Road has 131 spaces – it is a 25 – 30 minute walk to the venue
2. Clarence Street has 154 spaces – it is a 20 – 30 minute walk to the venue
3. Stanhope Road has 100 spaces – it is a 15 – 20 minute walk to the venue
4. Isambard Brunel has 543 spaces – it is a 15 – 20 minute walk to the venue
5. Historic Ships has 500 spaces – it is a 15 – 20 minute walk to the venue
6. Canoe Lake has 146 spaces – it is a 10 minute walk to the venue
7. Craswell Street has 919 spaces – it is a 15 – 20 minute walk to the venue

Trains

There are currently no plans for industrial action over the weekend.

The closest train stations to the event site are Portsmouth and Southsea Train Station, Portsmouth Harbour Train Station and Fratton station.

To check ahead of time that there is no industrial action, click here.

Ferry – Park and Float

If you are heading to Portsmouth from Gosport, you can get the ferry which runs every 15 minutes from 5:30am to 11pm every day.

The Portsmouth pontoon is a short walk to Portsmouth Harbour station and The Hard Interchange which offers access to First Bus, Stagecoach and National Express services.

A standard return costs £4.80, a child return, for those aged between four and 15, will cost £3 and a senior return will cost £3.10.

For more information about the ferry, click here.