The route of the world's largest half marathon takes you from Newcastle to the coast at South Shields. The Great North Run is extremely well supported with friendly spectators lining the course right from the beginning all the way to the finishing line. The support is fantastic but the sheer volume of runners means that congestion can occur.
Organisation of the event has improved over the years which has resulted in a much better start and finish to the event. One of the best parts of the run is running over the iconic Tyne Bridge with the enthusiastic support encouraging you on your way.
Although the course is ultimately downhill there is a long steady incline from around 8 to 12 miles which can be a bit energy zapping. Once you are through this it is a mile along the coast to the finish. Given the time of year it can be a blustery final mile and the extra 100 yards can make it seem like the never ending mile.
In summary, the Great North Run is a well organised, extremely well supported half marathon. It is well worth making the trip to the North East to take part in it.