The Great North Run motivation station gives supporters a chance to put a personalised message or photograph in front of their runner at exactly the right moment, and this year, with 63,000 people on the start line on 13 September, that moment could matter more than ever.
Positioned in the final mile of the course, the AJ Bell-backed big screen will display individual messages at the precise second the targeted runner passes it. Organisers say it is sited there deliberately: the closing stretch to the South Shields seafront finish is where legs are heaviest and where a well-timed boost from a familiar face can make a real difference.
A spokesperson for the event put it plainly: ‘Whether you’re there in person or supporting from afar, you can give your runner an unforgettable boost by submitting a personalised message or photo to appear on the big screen as they race by. It’s the perfect way to lift their spirits and be part of a truly special moment on the course.’
How the Great North Run motivation station works
Supporters submit a message or photo in advance, linked to a specific runner. The screen’s timing system then displays it as that individual reaches the board. You do not need to be on the course or even in the North East for it to work: the whole point is that someone watching from the other side of the country, or further afield, can still put something personal in front of their runner at a critical moment in the race.
Anyone who submits an entry is automatically entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Nando’s voucher, giving the supporter and runner something to look forward to after the finish line too.
The motivation station sits alongside a broader set of tools designed to make the event feel personal at scale. Organisers have shared plans to livestream each runner’s finish line moment, and a free tracking app lets supporters enter a runner’s name or race number to receive alerts at the start, at 5k, 10k and the halfway point, and at the finish, with a predicted finish time included to help with planning.
A race with global reach in its 45th year
The Great North Run is, according to Sports Infos, the world’s largest half marathon, established in 1981. The point-to-point 13.1-mile course starts in Newcastle city centre, crosses the Tyne Bridge, and finishes on the seafront at South Shields. According to Great Run, the start is on the A167, close to Claremont Road.
The 2026 edition is the 45th running of the event, and it carries serious broadcast reach to match. According to Great Run, the race will be shown live on BBC One in the UK and broadcast to over 170 countries worldwide. That means the messages runners see on the motivation station screen could be coming from supporters almost anywhere on the planet.
On the route itself, organisers have confirmed that the Gateshead section will be unaffected by ongoing demolition work on the flyover site. The Red Arrows are confirmed to perform a flypast near the run start, and a week-long fringe programme surrounds the event, covering extra break-out runs, a pasta party, a coffee rave and an after-party.
For anyone still chasing a place, the scale of this year’s field is the headline number: 63,000 runners setting off from the A167, most of them chasing personal goals and raising money for charity, all of them heading for South Shields across 13.1 miles of Northeast England.
Supporters wanting to submit a message or photo for the motivation station can do so via the organisers’ website. Get it in, and your runner could look up at the right moment and see exactly what they need to keep moving.