Charity places in Great South Run
Sun 19 Oct 2025 Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK

Charity places in Great South Run 2025

Probably the world’s favourite 10 mile running event with inspiring history, salty air and glorious sea views guaranteed! Local supporters will keep your spirits and motivation up the whole way.

Charity places

Event overview

Be your greatest in 2025!

The AJ Bell Great South Run is probably the world’s favourite 10-mile running event with inspiring history, salty air and glorious sea views guaranteed.

Portsmouth’s supporters will keep your spirits and motivation up the whole way around, with blaring music, cheers, high fives, and fist bumps all part of the incredible Great South Run experience. Plus, there’s a medal, an exclusive finisher t-shirt, and bragging rights at the finish line. There’s a reason runners say they’d recommend it to a friend – many reasons, in fact.

Following the cancellation of the 2024 event (due to adverse weather) there are a limited number of places available, and the event is expected to sell out quickly. It’s a new year with fresh goals to aim for, so set yourself a challenge and secure your place today to avoid missing out!

Highlights

  • Fast and flat route with breathtaking sea views
  • Run past some of the city's most famous landmarks
  • Music and entertainment to keep you motivated
  • Free training plans and support up to event day
  • Run number personalised with your name
  • Exclusive discounts when you sign up
  • Free Great Run series event day tracking app
  • Finishers' pack, bespoke medal and optional t-shirt

Event video

Charity places

These charities have places in the event. To secure your place, select a charity and complete the form to ask a question or get signed up.

Children 50% off

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity

Helping the hospital offer a better future to seriously ill children across the UK.

  • Running vest
  • Fundraising support
  • Fundraising materials
  • Training plan
  • Cheer squad on the day

50% off registration

Sign up
£15 £7.50

Fundraise
£250

Health and Medical

Parkinson's UK

Find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinsonโ€™s.

  • Running vest
  • Fundraising support
  • Fundraising materials
  • Training plan
  • Training guide

Sign up
£15

Fundraise
£250

Cancer

Brainstrust

Helping the brain tumour community to feel less alone and more in control.

  • Technical t-shirt
  • Running vest
  • Fundraising support
  • Fundraising materials
  • Dedicated contact
  • Certificate

Sign up
£30

Fundraise
£225

Mental health

SANE

Supporting those affected by mental illness to change mental health for good.

  • Technical t-shirt
  • Running vest
  • Fundraising support
  • Dedicated contact

Sign up
£20

Fundraise
£200

Cancer

Brainstrust

Helping the brain tumour community to feel less alone and more in control.

  • Technical t-shirt
  • Running vest
  • Fundraising support
  • Fundraising materials
  • Fundraising incentives
  • Dedicated contact
  • Certificate

Sign up
£30

Fundraise
£225

Health and Medical

Meningitis Research Foundation

Defeating meningitis and septicaemia.

  • Running vest
  • Fundraising support
  • Fundraising materials

Sign up
£15

Fundraise
£200

Cancer

Macmillan Cancer Support

No one should have to face cancer alone.

  • Technical t-shirt
  • Fundraising support
  • Fundraising materials
  • Training plan
  • Online training zone
  • Dedicated contact
  • Cheer squad on the day
  • Exclusive social group

Sign up
£25

Fundraise
£250

Children

Dreams Come True

Making dreams come true to bring joy to seriously ill children.

  • Personalised running vest
  • Fundraising support
  • Fundraising materials
  • Dedicated contact
  • Certificate

Sign up
£20

Fundraise
£250

  • Average fitness
  • Event village
  • Families
  • Fancy dress
  • Newcomers
  • Spectators
  • Teams
  • Wheelchair users

Timetable

  • 07:00 | Event site and information point open
  • 10:35 | 10 mile waves start

Wheelchair entrants

The Great South Run is suitable for wheelchair users. There is a question on the entry form that asks if you are a wheelchair user and if you will be participating in a self-propelled racing wheelchair, or if you will be participating in a standard wheelchair and will be assisted (pushed).

Business Challenge

The Business Challenge is a corporate running challenge in the biggest cities across the UK. It’s open to organisations of all shapes and sizes, is suitable for groups large or small (minimum team of 4) and is great for all ages and abilities. If you’re tired of cringey teambuilding exercises, it’s a great way to invest in workforce wellbeing for a happier and healthier team.

  • A team can be four or more, there is no maximum number of team members.
  • The finishing times of the fastest 4 members of the team will be used to calculate the overall team time.
  • Manage your team through an easy-to-use group dashboard. Swap runners up until six weeks before the event.
  • The winning team at each event will receive a trophy to display with pride.

  • Bag storage
  • Coast
  • Entertainment
  • Toilets
  • Urban

Event HQ

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO1 3LJ
UK

  • Distance markers
  • Entertainment
  • First aid
  • Flat
  • Food stations
  • Marshals
  • Out and back
  • PB
  • Sweeper
  • Traffic free
  • Water stations
  • Wave start

Summary

The fast and flat 10-mile course is steeped in history, passing naval landmarks, cathedrals and castles. Experience Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, running past the incredible HMS Victory and complete your 10-mile challenge at the seafront finish line.

Map

map

  • Public transport links
  • Sustainability policy
  • Trees not tees

Sustainability Policy

This event is in the process of updating its Sustainability Strategy in light of its collaborative approach and recent survey. Work to minimise the environmental impacts of this event will continue throughout this process, with particular focus on:

  • Reducing plastic
  • Reducing waste
  • Cutting carbon emissions
  • Responsible procurement

 
In addition, it is striving to improve performance even further by making sure that sustainability is embedded at the heart of the organisation and culture.

Trees not tees

Finisher tees are now optional. You can choose to forgo your finisher tee shirt at the point of entry, and in lieu of this the organiser will make a donation to the National Trust Woodlands Appeal.

The organisers will donate a portion of the fulfilment costs for each runner who chooses this option to the fund and commit this donation will be around £20,000.

  • Chip timing
  • Event app
  • Goody bag
  • iTAB
  • Map
  • Medal
  • Race photo
  • Technical t-shirt
  • Training plan

Included

  • The medal

    A shiny new, Great South Run medal, an exclusive finishers t-shirt plus a finisher’s bag filled with goodies.

  • The app

    Event day tracking and results ready to view on the app shortly after you cross the finish line.

  • The discounts

    Access to exclusive runners only discounts and offers via the rewards platform.

Optional extra

  • iTAB

    Make it personal with an iTAB. Order yours when you sign up.

  • T-shirt

    For environmental reasons the official t-shirt is now optional.

  • The photos

    Official event day photos available to view and purchase straight after the event, so smile for the cameras!

Every year thousands of runners take part in this event and fundraise for charity. While this is hugely beneficial to the charities it gives the runner advantages too, from supporting a cause that is close to your heart to securing a place in this highly sought-after event and much more.

Benefits of running for charity

Committing to raising money for charity gives you motivation to get outside and run, plus all of these extras which will elevate your event experience:

  • Fundraising support

    Charities know that raising money is all part of the challenge, which is why they provide advice, branded materials and a personalised online fundraising page to help the donations roll in. Think videos for social media, branded imagery and testimonials from previous runners.

  • Training support

    Whether this is your first run or your fifth, you'll need to train for it! You'll receive an in-depth training plan with guidance, plus many charities have access to expert coaches and elite runners too, who can provide exclusive tips for your race preparation. Experts include Runningwithus, Full Potential and Olympic champs.

  • Branded running kit

    When you show up on the day, people need to be able to see clearly that you're supporting a charity. Most charities will give you a branded and personalised t-shirt or vest to run in on the big day, and often a training top too.

  • Support on the day

    When you're partway through your run and your energy is flagging, what you need is a boost from cheering spectators to keep you moving. Many charities set up a cheer station along the route, keeping an eye out for you to send up a huge cheer as you run past!

  • Post-race recovery

    Refreshments and an indulgent post-race sports massage are often provided by charities for their runners. This is the perfect way to recover alongside other people who have run for that cause.

  • Exclusive social groups

    You won't be the only person running for that charity, so it's well worth meeting other runners through the charity's invite-only social media pages! You can organise to meet up for training runs, chat with the charity's expert coaches and share tips and stories with each other to keep the motivation levels running high.

What are charity places?

Charities buy places in this event, then give them to runners who agree to raise money for the charity – these are called charity places. Charity places are a great way to support a good cause and get a place in the event, especially if general entries are closed.

Running and charity fundraising go hand-in-hand - which charity will you run for?

Amazing run through a historic city, great support from the enthusiastic spectators, great finish line.

An awesome event with such history - amazing to see people who have run every single year still doing the full 10-miles! The course is fantastic.

The course scenery, location and atmosphere are spectacular. If travelling to the event I would recommend having a long weekend.

I love this event. It is one of my annual races now. The route is flat with a nice sea view at the start and end of the course.

I have done the Great South Run three times. I love this race and would recommend it. My children have also done the junior race. Lovely run, lovely views.

It was amazing to be part of an event with so many others raising money for charity. The setting and atmosphere is always great!

Reviews thanks to RaceCheck