Defending champions Alex Mutiso and Sheila Chepkirui return for AJ Bell Great North Run
Elite line-up revealed for the 45th edition on Sunday, September 13.
Alex Mutiso and Sheila Chepkirui, winners of last year's men's and women's races, will return to defend their titles at the 45th AJ Bell Great North Run on Sunday, September 13.
The Kenyan pair lead a strong elite field taking on the famous Newcastle to South Shields route at the world's biggest half marathon.
"The Great North Run has become an important race for me over the last couple of years, either coming off a summer season or building up towards an autumn marathon," said Chepkirui. "I love the energy of the race and the atmosphere. I won here last year and would love to make it back-to-back victories – that would be special."
Mutiso added: "Returning as defending champion at such a big race will be great experience for me. As always there will be strong competition, but I will be hoping to repeat last year's result."
US record-holder Casey Clinger and fellow American Zouhair Talbi are joined by 2025 European champion Iliass Aouani (Italy), 2025 Tokyo Marathon silver medallist Deresa Geleta (Ethiopia) and Olympic silver medallist Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands) among the highlights of the men's elite field. All will have to produce the performance of their lives to catch Mutiso, whose PB stands at 57:59.
With Martin Mathathi's course record of 58:56 having stood since 2011, is Mutiso the man to beat it this year if conditions work in his favour?
"I know the course record has stood for a long time at 58:56," said Mutiso. "The course is a tough one and conditions need to be just right, and you must arrive in perfect shape. I am capable, obviously, but we will have to wait and see how the day is."
Ben Connor, Andy Butchart and Alfie Manthorpe lead the British challenge in the men's race.
Chepkirui faces stiff competition from fellow Kenyans Viola Lagat and Brigid Kosgei, winner here in 2021 and 2022 and a Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist.
Hoping to prevent an all-Kenyan podium is Eilish McColgan, who returns after a toe injury forced her to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
"The Great North Run has been a really important goal for me to focus on while building back from my toe injury," said McColgan. "I'm gradually getting my fitness back and feeling stronger with every week, so I'm really excited to get on the start line in September and see where I'm at over 13.1 miles. It's always such a special race, with an incredible atmosphere, and I can't wait to be back."
McColgan is joined by Amy-Eloise Neale in the women's British contingent.
The 2025 winners Sean Frame and Mel Woods return to defend their titles, with David Weir and John Boy Smith also in the field.
More than 100 invited elite athletes from across the globe – including the USA, Ethiopia, Kenya, Japan, South Africa and Europe – will take on what is set to be the biggest ever Great North Run. The elite athletes will be joined by 63,000 runners, cheered on by more than 200,000 spectators lining the 13.1-mile course.
Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run and president of The Great Run Company, said: "Over the last 45 years we have seen countless memorable moments at the Great North Run, records have been broken and champions born. It's always a real honour for the event to welcome world-class athletes, and this year's startling line-up highlights that the Great North Run retains its place as a pivotal event in the global racing calendar. Spectators, whether on the streets or at home, should expect some first-class sporting action again this year."
Sunday, September 13 – broadcast live on BBC1 from 10am to 2pm.
The 2026 AJ Bell Great North Run concludes a weekend festival of running which starts with the Great North Run 5K on Friday, September 11, and the 40th Great North Junior and Mini events on Saturday, September 12.
Men
Alex Mutiso (Kenya), Casey Clinger (USA), Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands), Zouhair Talbi (USA), Clayton Young (USA), Ben Connor, Deresa Geleta (Ethiopia), Taiga Hirayama (Japan), Ayumu Kobayashi (Japan), Tatsuya Maruyama (Japan), Kosei Matsunami (Japan), Yohei Ikeda (Japan), Shoya Yonei (Japan), Iliass Aouani (Italy), Jared Ward (USA), Naoki Aiba (Japan), Jake Barraclough (USA), Kieran Tuntivate (Thailand), Aron Gebremariam (Eritrea), Andy Butchart, Alfie Manthorpe, Woody Kincaid (USA), Yuki Takei (Japan), Calum Johnson, Cameron Allan, Hugh Armstrong (Ireland), Killian Mooney (Ireland), Norman Shreeve, Jamie Burns, Timothy Lefroy, Cole Gibbons, Carl Avery, Corrin Leeming, Kieren Walker, Callum Davidson, Samuel Roberts, Dean Williamson, Dillon Hobbs, Chris Coulson, David Green, Milan Campion, Patrick Roddy, Joshua Birmingham, Mathieu van Overeem (Belgium), Andrew Davies, Tom Charles, John Battrick, Ian Davies, Finn Bodie, Jarleth McKenna, Aidan Thompson, Connor Rogers, Rob Payne, Mathis Brun (France), Jack Eykelbosch
Women
Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya), Brigid Kosgei (Kenya), Eilish McColgan, Amy-Eloise Neale, Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia), Viola Lagat (Kenya), Melknat Wudu (Ethiopia), Honami Maeda (Japan), Shiori Zama (Japan), Rio Einaga (Japan), Rebecca Weston, Christa Cain, Nancy Scott, Phillipa Williamson, Stacey Ormerod, Amy Lowe, Elizabeth Talbi (USA), Lucy Cardno, Lauren Charlton, Hannah Lewis, Lindsay Skinner, Lucy Morrison, Emma Taylor, Rachel Laurie, Freya Ross, Ruby Woolfe, Evie Warren, Claire Frankland, Mini Corden-Lloyd, Katie Latham, Amy Anderson, Ellen McLeod, Chloe Dooley, Grace Tindall, Victoria Atkinson (Ireland), Harriet Preedy, Eloise Bull, Catherine O'Connor, Saffron Latham, Georgina Weston, Rachael Rozhdestvenskaya, Clare Stewart, Abigayle Horne, Caitlyn Heggie, Davina Ellis
