Will the Great South Run 2020 be cancelled? Latest entry information including date, cost and distance

Thousands of people took part in the Great South Run in Portsmouth last year, and attention has switched to the 2020 event – and whether it will go ahead.
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The next Great South Run is in the diary for October and runners can now sign up. Here are the full details you need to know:

When is the Great South Run 2020?

The Great South Run this year – the 31st edition of the popular event – is due to place on Sunday October 18.

Will you be wearing fancy dress next year? Picture: Vernon Nash (201019-096)Will you be wearing fancy dress next year? Picture: Vernon Nash (201019-096)
Will you be wearing fancy dress next year? Picture: Vernon Nash (201019-096)
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The Great South Run is typically held on the third Sunday of October each year, with other events – including the canine run, 5k and childrens’ run – taking place the day before.

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Are you in our Great South Run gallery?

How I do sign up, and how much does it cost?

Entries are now open, and you can sign up on the official Great South Run website – you will need to create an account before paying.

Entries for the Great South Run and Great South Run 5k for 2020 are now openEntries for the Great South Run and Great South Run 5k for 2020 are now open
Entries for the Great South Run and Great South Run 5k for 2020 are now open

The normal prices are as follows – these are subject to change:

Great South Run – £42.00 per person

Great South Run 5k – £22.00 per person

Great South Run Junior – £16.00 per entry

Participants in the Great South Run pass HMS Victory, in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Picture: Mary TurnerParticipants in the Great South Run pass HMS Victory, in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Picture: Mary Turner
Participants in the Great South Run pass HMS Victory, in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Picture: Mary Turner

Great South Run Mini – £16.00 per entry

Has the Great South Run been cancelled? Latest coronavirus information

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The Great Run Company, which runs many events of varying distances across the UK every year, has already announced a series of cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The elite athletes taking part in the Great South Run 2019. Picture: Shaun RosterThe elite athletes taking part in the Great South Run 2019. Picture: Shaun Roster
The elite athletes taking part in the Great South Run 2019. Picture: Shaun Roster

Regarding the Great South Run, organisers have said they need ‘specific details’ from the government if the event is to go ahead.

The chief executive of the Great Run Company, Paul Foster, said: ‘With over 13 weeks to go until the Great South Run (October 18), we are closely monitoring the developments with Covid-19 and will continue to take the advice of the UK government around the staging of large public events.

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‘The government recently provided official guidance for outdoor sport and physical activity participation events to return, however, we are still awaiting the specific details required to be able to make a definitive decision about the staging of the event.

‘We therefore want to wait a short period to confirm what happens next.

‘If circumstances dictate that we must cancel, then everyone who had entered would be entitled to a refund or the opportunity to roll their entry over to the next Great South Run (scheduled for October 2021).

‘We will endeavour to make a further announcement soon.’

How long is the Great South Run?

The Great South Run takes place in Southsea and is a 10-mile event.

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About 20,000 runners signed up to the 2019 event, which started on Clarence Esplanade. Places were sold out weeks before the event.

Runners headed towards Old Portsmouth, through Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, before heading west to Winston Churchill Avenue.

From there they ran around Southsea Common before the final two miles through Eastney.

How do I sign up for the Great South Run 5k?

Entry is now open for the Great South Run 5k which will take place on Saturday October 17.

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You must be 14 years old or over to take part. To take part sign up on the Great South Run website.

How do I sign up for the Great South Junior and Mini run?

Entries for the junior run and mini run are now open - head to the website below to sign up.

The junior run is 2.5km long and is open to children aged nine to 15. The mini run is 1.5km and can be ruyn by children aged three to eight.

Both events cost £16 to sign up to, and will take place on Saturday October 17.

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