Great North Run

Great North Run is the busiest day of the year for transport in the North East, with thousands of runners and spectators travelling.

The Great North run starts in Newcastle and ends in South Shields.  The nearest Metro stations to the start are Haymarket, Monument and Jesmond in Newcastle city centre; about 15-20 minutes walk to the start line.  The nearest station to the end of the run is South Shields, again about a 15 minute walk.

View the race start area map here.

There will be additional Metro services to help runners get to the start of the run and home afterwards. However, trains will still be extremely busy from early in the day so please make sure you leave extra travelling time and be prepared to wait in long queues. Crowd control measures will be in place at some stations.

Travel tickets
You can save time queueing at ticket machines on run day, by ordering or downloading (Android only) a Pop Pay As You Go card before the event, or buying a Great North Run Day Rover ticket in advance for £6.50.

The tickets aren’t just for runners, they’re ideal for spectators too.

If you don’t want to buy a Day Rover ticket in advance or order a Pop card, you can buy a Metro travel ticket on the day from any Metro ticket machine:

The price depends on the number of zones you travel in.  You can view the Metro zone map here.

You can access the best value Metro travel thanks to the Mayor’s Fares  either by ordering a Pop card or downloading a Pop card to your Google Wallet on your Android phone. If ordering a physical card please leave enough time to receive the card through the post. To view all other ticketing options visit Tickets – Travel North East.

Remember, if you are travelling with children, remember kids go free! Up to three kids aged 11 and under can travel for free on Metro and the Shields Ferry, all day, every day when accompanied by a fare-paying adult. Find out more about kids go free here.

Metro station temporary closures
To assist with the movement of customers and improve crowd control we will be temporarily closing the following stations:

• Haymarket – No entry into the station (exit only) from 8.00am until 10.40am. Please use Jesmond. Details of buses running from Haymarket bus station are available in the ‘travelling by bus’ section.
• Jesmond – Closed from 10.30am until early afternoon. Please use Haymarket or Monument.
• Manors – Closed from 10.30am until early afternoon. Please use Haymarket.
• Chichester – Closed from about 1.00pm until early evening. Please use South Shields.

Please note, the closure times may vary on the day depending on operational requirements. When walking to alternative stations, please take care and use pedestrian crossings or underpasses where available.

Advice for spectators
If you want to see friends or relatives take part in the run, we recommend that you just choose one place to see them – at the race start in Newcastle, or somewhere on the route, or at the race finish in South Shields. It is almost impossible to see a runner in more than one location, as public transport will be very busy, and because it takes time to reach the race route itself from Metro stations and bus stops.

Travelling on Metro with a pushchair on Great North Run day will be difficult due to the number of people travelling.

Park and travel
There’s free all day parking on Sundays at Metro station car parks with ‘P’ on the Metro map (except at Heworth which has a small fee).  Click here for more car parking information.

Please note, car parks will be busy and there will be road closures in place along the route, so make sure to plan your route to and from the car park in advance.

After the run
Metro will be very busy due to the number of people travelling.  There will be separate queues for Metro trains, and for the Shields Ferry so please be prepared to wait. If you have a travel ticket for Metro, have it handy.  If you don’t have a ticket, you will be able to buy one on the Pop App or from the Metro ticket machine.

If you would prefer to let the queues reduce before joining them, there are a number of cafes, restaurants, and pubs in South Shields to visit.

The nearest Metro station to the end of the run is South Shields, about a 15 minute walk from the end of the run. All Metro trains from South Shields go to Newcastle city centre (Central Station, Monument and Haymarket are city centre stations).

When on the train, listen for announcements or check the visual displays as you may need to change trains depending on your final destination.

View the race finish area map here.

Keep up to date with the latest travel news
To view the latest Metro live travel updates click here or view the Pop App (available on the Google Play or on the App Store, simply search ‘Metro Pop’).

Look after yourself and others
Listen to guidance from our customer service teams and to station announcements. When waiting on platforms stand behind the yellow line and when the train arrives allow people to get off before trying to board.

Remember to stay hydrated before, during and after the run. If you feel unwell speak to a member of the customer service team or contact our team in the control centre by using a station Help Point.

Metro stations and trains do not have toilet facilities, so please keep this in mind before starting your journey.

If you lose property on Metro, contact our Customer Relations section on 0191 202 0747 (lines are open Monday-Friday, 9.00am-5.00pm).

The Shields Ferry operates between South Shields and North Shields, and the South Shields ferry landing is about a 20 minute walk from the end of the run.

On Great North Run Day the ferry service will start at 7.45am (from South Shields), and run until 6.00pm, with extra crossings throughout the day.

If you have a travel ticket for the Shields Ferry, have it handy.  If you don’t have a ticket, you will be able to buy one on the Pop App or at the Ferry Landing. See the Tickets section below.

Race finish – South Shields: Getting home from the race finish

The Shields Ferry will be very busy due to the number of people travelling, so please expect a significant wait on the way home.

Click here to see a map of the race finish area.

Bus services 19, 317 and 333 operate from North Shields ferry landing (at the bus stop on Duke Street) – click here for more information – and they will operate their normal Sunday timetabled service.

Tickets
Ferry day ticket

If you’re only going to be travelling on the Shields Ferry on Great North Run day, use a Pop PAYG card to travel for £3.00.

If you don’t have a Pop card you can buy a Shields Ferry day ticket on the Pop App for £4.20. You can buy this in advance or on the day of the run.

Buying tickets in advance will help us to get every on board as quickly as possible – but you’ll also be able to buy tickets in the queue on the day. Tickets available will be:

• Shields Ferry adult day – £4.20
• Shields Ferry adult single – £2.60
• Shields Ferry child day – £2.20
• Shields Ferry child single – £1.00

Great North Run Day Rover Tickets

If you’re going to be travelling on Metro and/or buses as well as the Shields Ferry, you can save time queueing at ticket machines on run day, by buying your Great North Run travel ticket in advance.

The tickets aren’t just for runners, they’re ideal for spectators too.

If you haven’t already bought tickets in advance, tickets will be available to buy at North and South Shields ferry landings, before you board the ferry.

To view other ticketing options visit Tickets – Travel North East.

If you are travelling with children, kids go free! Up to three kids aged 11 and under can travel for free on Metro and the Shields Ferry, all day, every day when accompanied by a fare-paying adult. Find out more about kids go free here.

The Great North Run starts in Newcastle and ends in South Shields.  Buses and traffic will be extremely busy from early in the day; so please plan your journey in advance and leave plenty of time to get to the run start.

Race start

The race start is a 20 minute walk from Eldon Square and Haymarket bus stations in Newcastle city centre.   From these bus stations, and the many on-street bus stops in the city centre journeys can be made across the North East. 

Click here to see a map of the race start area.

Shuttle bus services:

Express R1 shuttle bus services will run frequently from early morning until late afternoon/evening in both directions between Newcastle (St Mary’s Place) and South Shields (Bents Park), providing a convenient link between the start and finish line for spectators, along with offering a direct connection back to Newcastle after the race.

552 shuttle bus service will run frequently from Bents Park in South Shields to South Shields Ferry landing, between 9am and 2pm. From 2pm until 6pm it will run from Bents Park directly to North Shields Transport Hub.

Race finish

The South Shields bus interchange will be closed to all bus services until about 7.00pm.  Any service operating into South Shields town centre will stop on Station Road (opposite Home Bargains).

Click here to see a map of the race finish area.

Great North Run Day Rover Tickets

If you’re going to be travelling on Metro and/or the Shields Ferry as well as buses, you can save time queueing at ticket machines on run day, by buying your Great North Run travel ticket in advance.

The tickets aren’t just for runners, they’re ideal for spectators too.

Advice for spectators

If you want to see friends or relatives take part in the run, we recommend that you just choose one place to see them – at the race start in Newcastle, or somewhere on the route, or at the race finish in South Shields. It is almost impossible to see a runner in more than one location, as public transport will be very busy, and because it takes time to reach the race route itself from Metro stations and bus stops.

If you’re heading to the race finish:

• Shuttle bus services will also be running from Haymarket (St Mary’s Place and Percy Street) and Barras Bridge to the finish area.
• Bus services 19, 317 and 333 operate from North Shields ferry landing (at the bus stop on Duke Street), and they will operate their normal Sunday timetabled service.

Here’s how to keep up to date with bus services on Great North Run day

Arriva bus services – arrivabus.co.uk

Go North East bus services – service changes attached below and go to  gonortheast.co.uk

Stagecoach bus services – service changes attached below and go to stagecoachbus.com

Please note that on Sunday 13  September, no local bus services will operate from South Shields Interchange from start of service until 7.00pm. Until this time, customers are advised to use the bus stop at Station Road, opposite Home Bargains instead.