Bupa Great North Run
The Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon - with over 54,000 runners pounding the streets of Newcastle, Gateshead and South Shields every year, this is a race not to be missed.
Bupa Great North Run - 16 September
About
The Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon - with over 54,000 runners pounding the streets of Newcastle, Gateshead and South Shields every year, this is a race not to be missed.
One of the most exciting events in the sporting calendar, it draws thousands of supporters, creating an electrifying atmosphere which leaves the participants buzzing.
So why don't you set yourself a challenge and run to raise funds for Breast Cancer Care? At 13.1 miles it is challenging yet achievable and the sense of pride you will gain from taking part to raise money for charity will make it all the more worthwhile.
How we will support you as part of Team Breast Cancer Care
In return for pledging to raise money for us, we will support you with:
- a state of the art running vest
- a welcome pack full of fundraising and training advice
- a training plan and top tips from our sports ambassador, Denise Lewis
- support and advice from a dedicated member of the sports team
- regular newsletters and emails to keep you updated
- a goody bag
- a fantastic post race reception and refreshments in our marquee at the end of the race
- complimentary leg massages for our runners in our marquee
- fundraising materials
- 20 per cent off your first purchase from Sweaty Betty - specialists in performance wear for women.
We hope to welcome you to Team Breast Cancer Care very soon!
Race day
10.40am race start
To make sure that you are fully prepared for your Bupa Great North Run, we have put together some key information to ensure your day runs as smoothly as possible!
Get a head start and get to know your way around the Bupa Great North Run course
Advice and information for your Bupa Great North Run
Please allow plenty of time to arrive at the Start and warm up for your half marathon.- Water stations can be found at the start, 3, 5¾, 8½ and 11½ mile points.
- Powerade (energy drink) stations will be located at the start, 4½, 10 mile points and at the finish.
- Fine mist spray showers are on course between miles 8 and 12 to keep you cool and refreshed.
- Music entertainment is laid on along the course to keep you entertained and energized. Last year there were 15 different points and this year they hope to have even more!
- Breast Cancer Care will have our very own cheering points to keep your spirits high. You will not be able to miss the loud screams and words of encouragement from the team in pink! Exact locations will be confirmed nearer to the event.
- If you are thinking of walking the Bupa Great North for some or part of the event, please keep to left where possible to allow runners to continue and pass freely.
Once you have crossed the finish line, come and find Breast Cancer Care in the Charity Village. We will have refreshments, goody bags and massage ready and waiting!
Accommodation
Nova International, have an official travel partner, Nirvana Europe Ltd, who once again have a wide selection of accommodation options, coupled with their race day transfer service for the 2011 Bupa Great North Run. You can book your accommodation and transfers online, or, alternatively, you can call the Nirvana office on 0191 2571750.
For all other information please visit the Bupa Great North Run website.
Please continue to check this page as we will be updating it closer to the event.
Join our team
There are two ways to enter the Bupa Great North Run - via the public ballot or by securing one of our guaranteed entries.
Public ballot
The public ballot is now open and will remain open until 7 February 2012. Select the registration button above to sign up for the Bupa Great North Run via the public ballot.
Breast Cancer Care guaranteed place
If you would like to apply for a Breast Cancer Care guaranteed place please email sporting@breastcancercare.org.uk or call 0845 092 0804.
If you already have your place
If you have secured a place in the public ballot we would love you to join our team. We don’t set you a minimum sponsorship target, we just ask you to raise as much as you can.
To join our team with a ballot entry place, please email us at sporting@breastcancercare.org.uk or call 0845 092 0804 and let us know the following details:
- your full name
- address
- telephone number
- running vest size
- how you heard about Breast Cancer Care.
Once you have signed up we will send you a welcome pack and a running vest to get you started.
Training tips
Training is essential to your Bupa Great North Run preparation. The more you put in the more enjoyable your experience will be! We have designed some guidelines for you to follow, please download our suggested half marathon training plan below to help you on your way.
Our week by week training plan specifies how far and how often you should run. It also tells you when to rest in order to get the most out of your training. We suggest you should start your preparation eight weeks before the race. The increase in mileage in our training plan is designed to help you improve your fitness level for the big day.
Use our stretching guide to help you fully prepare yourself for your training sessions and race day.
Don’t forget to keep visiting this page to get the most up-to-date advice.
Fundraising
Reaching your fundraising target can be a challenge, but don’t worry as we have some useful tips to help you plan and coordinate your fundraising.
Check out our seasonal fundraising ideas to ensure that your fundraising is fresh and on trend.
All sponsorship should be collected and returned to Breast Cancer Care by 18 December 2011.
Social networks
Remember, it’s your network of friends, family, colleagues and contacts who will support you with your training and fundraising. Keep them updated every step of the way with your Facebook profile, blog or Twitter account.
Tell them how your training is going (with pictures for added impact) and let them know how you’re getting on with your fundraising target. You can even upload pictures on the day to show everyone your progress along the route! If you follow Breast Cancer Care on Facebook and Twitter, we’ll keep you up to date with the goings-on here, and keep you on track with support and tips.
Fundraising materials
Download your very own fundraising planner to follow to ensure that your fundraising activities run as smoothly as possible.
Use this downloadable poster to promote your fundraising events.
Online fundraising
Now you can raise sponsorship without all the hassle. No more dealing with cash and cheques, no more chasing friends after the event. Simply create a free, online fundraising page, personalise it with a photo and message, and email it to your friends, family and work colleagues. They can donate quickly and securely online with a credit or debit card. Online donations from UK taxpayers are worth almost a third more to us with Gift Aid, which can be claimed on online donations. Follow the instructions to set up your unique JustGiving page.
Once you’ve created your page, email the link to friends, family, colleagues and classmates. You can even add the JustGiving application to your Facebook page to make it even easier for your friends to donate.
For more information or help setting up your page, visit www.justgiving.com or call the Justgiving helpdesk on 0845 021 2110.
Please note: Justgiving money will only be attributed to the person who set up the Justgiving page, so please do not set up joint pages as we are unable to share the money between several people.
How do I pay in my sponsorship?
There are few ways in which your sponsorship money will reach us:
JustGiving
If you have decided to create a Justgiving fundraising page, then you do not need to do anything as all your sponsorship money will automatically be sent directly to our bank account. Please note that it can take up to four weeks to show up on your fundraising record at Breast Cancer Care.
Cheque
Please send all cheques to the address below:
Breast Cancer Care Events
Admail 4161
London
SE1 0ZB
Don’t forget to write your name, Breast Cancer Care number and event name on the back of your cheques.
Online
You can also pay money in directly on the Breast Cancer Care website. If you use our online paying in function then please remember to send us your sponsorship forms so that we can claim Gift Aid.
Enclosed in your welcome pack, which you will receive when you register for your event, will be your pay-in forms. You can send them to us along with your sponsorship money and sponsorship forms. Please do not send cash in the post.
Once you join Team Breast Cancer Care we will provide you with further fundraising tips and ideas!
FAQs
Questions
How do I sign up?
What is the minimum fundraising total I have to raise?
Will I receive a vest to wear on the day?
When will my welcome pack arrive?
What happens on the day?
Can I collect sponsorship online?
How do I pay in my sponsorship?
How do I withdraw from the event?
I am looking for accommodation for the event, where is best to stay?
All other questions
Please visit our 'Join our team' section.
What is the minimum fundraising total I have to raise?
If you have your own place in the race then there is no minimum sponsorship target – we just ask that you try and raise as much as you can.
If you have one of our guaranteed places then we ask that you pledge to raise a minimum of £300 in sponsorship.
Will I receive a vest to wear on the day?
Yes! We will be sending out a state of the art running vest or T-shirt to you in the post about a month before race day. Please remember to specify which vest or T-shirt size you would like when confirming your place.
When will my welcome pack arrive?
We will send out your welcome pack in the post within two weeks of you signing up. While you wait for the pack to arrive, please click on the Fundraising tab (above) for some great hints and tips to get you started.
Please visit our 'Race day' section above or visit the Bupa Great North Run website for all details on what to expect on race day.
Can I collect sponsorship online?
Yes. We recommend you sign up to Just Giving and follow their easy step by step guide to create your own online fundraising page. All money raised through your page will be automatically sent through to us and allocated to your record.
How do I pay in my sponsorship?
The easiest way to pay in your money is online. However, you can also send cheques in the post to:
Breast Cancer Care Events
Admail
4161
London
SE1 0ZB
Don’t forget to write your name, Breast Cancer Care number and event name on the back of your cheques.
How do I withdraw from the event?
You will receive a race pack from the race organizers. This pack will include an official event magazine with deferral instructions.
Complete a deferment slip, and send it to the Race Organisers, Nova International, with your race number and timing chip by using the A5 freepost envelope that the timing chip comes in.
Whether you have a charity guaranteed place or your own place for the Bupa Great North Run, please contact us to notify us you will be deferring. If you are thinking of deferring your entry and are able to notify us before the 8 July 2011 we will be able to use your entry for another runner.
Here is a copy of the Bupa Great North Run’s deferment policy:
DEFERMENT POLICY
All fees are non-refundable.
However a person who has been accepted as an entrant in to a 2011 Bupa Great Run event who subsequently decides not to run prior to the event is eligible for a guaranteed place at the standard entry fee in the 2012 event.
Entrants can only defer their place for a maximum of one year.
Once the entrant has committed to deferring their entry they cannot be reinstated into the 2011 event. Your decision is final.
All requests to defer entry must be made prior to the event. No deferrals will be made retrospectively.
Entrants opting for deferment will be added to a database and will be contacted prior to the opening of entries to the 2012 event.
They will be given a period of 28 days to commit and pay for the guaranteed place in 2012.
Once this time period has passed the offer of the guaranteed place automatically lapses and the race organisers have no further commitment to providing a place to the runner in the 2012 event.
Transferring the guaranteed place to another person will not be permitted.
I am looking for accommodation for the event, where is best to stay?
Please see the following website for advice on where to stay for your Bupa Great North Run.
For all other questions or queries on the event, please see the Bupa Great North Run website.
