With just over three months to the AJ Bell Great Bristol Run on Sunday 11 May 2025 it's time to secure your place on the startline of the race that styles itself as the 'Best in the South West'. That claim is based on the level of participation – more than 15,000 ran last year – and the superb atmosphere and spectacular course through the dramatic Avon Gorge beside the River Avon.

Last year's AJ Bell Great Bristol Run Half Marathon winners were Jonathan Thewlis (Bristol & West AC, 1:10:39) and Hannah Alderson (Team Bath AC, 1:20:29). The AJ Bell Great Bristol Run 10K champions were Cal Mills (Leeds City AC, 30:45) and Swedish Olympian Caroline Wilkstrom (33:29) – as reported here in runABC South.

This year’s AJ Bell Great Bristol Run will be bigger and better than ever. Starting and finishing in the heart of the city, runners pass some of the city’s most iconic landmarks and experience incredible local support along the route before a grandstand finish in Millennium Square. But it’s not just the inspiring scenery that attracts runners from far and wide: the start line excitement, rocking on-course music zones and post-race celebrations create an unbeatable atmosphere.

Bristol has a proud maritime history and is unique in England as it is a city, unitary authority, and a ceremonial county bordered by Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol was named by Time Out magazine as the top tourist destination in the UK in 2024. The famous Clifton Suspension Bridge is a highlight, of course, but did you know:

• Banksy put Bristol on the map for street art embraced by the city and its visitors.
• Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, and Creature Comforts were all made in Bristol.
• Bristol is famed for engineering innovation from the SS Great Britain to Concorde.
• The city is the birthplace of the sweet-tooth favourite Ribena Blackcurrant Squash.
• There's a road called 'Cheers Drive' to celebrate the Bristolian's thanks to bus drivers.
• Nicholas Market is the place for street food on a budget – much loved by students.

So if you want to have a 'gert lush' (Bristolian for simply great) time in Bristol you need to put the Great Bristol Run into your race calendar for 2025. The AJ Bell Great Bristol Run Half Marathon is also a qualification race for the 2026 England Athletics Masters International – athletes aged over 35 years need to register their interest here.

Thousands of participants show their strength and passion each year as they take on the super-scenic 10K and half marathon routes. If stunning views, inspiring history, and Bristol cityscapes are your thing, then the AJ Bell Great Bristol Run is right up your street. Last year’s event sold out weeks in advance, so sign up now to secure your place!
 
Results and previous reports at the runABC South race listing here.

Photo courtesy Great Run Company