One of the great things about the AJ Bell Great South Run is the superb crowd support and that of fellow runners in the greatest annual 10-mile road race in the UK, perhaps in the world. The photo above of Claire March (centre) finishing 13,831st in 2:31:31 in the 33rd AJ Bell Great South Run on Sunday 15 October 2023 is the perfect illustration of that point.

Claire was among more than 20,000 competitors in the main event on Sunday and supporting AJ Bell Great South 5K, Junior South Run 2.5K, and Mini South Run 1.5K on Saturday (14 October).

Paul Foster, chief executive at the Great Run Company, explained how the event never ceases to amaze him: "The energy, the dedication, and most importantly, the communal spirit, are brilliant to behold. Congratulations to all the runners, and a massive thank you to the unwavering supporters who lined the course," he said.

The AJ Bell Great South Run saw 19 elite men finishing inside 50 minutes for a classic sub-5min/mile pace and they were headed by Zakariya Mahamed (Southampton AC, 46:41 PB) – who last ran this race as a junior in 2019. The runners-up were Jacob Allen (Highgate Harriers, 47:13) – on his 10-mile debut – and Omar Ahmed (Birchfield Harriers, 47:31 PB).

Lily Partridge (Birchfield Harriers, 54:04 PB) successfully defended her women's title in the Great South Run but was pushed to a new personal best by 10-mile debutantes Hannah Irwin (Cambridge & Coleridge AC, 54:30) and Amelia Quirk (Bracknell AC, 54:37) with Lucy Reid (Tonbridge AC, 54:48 PB) also going under 55 minutes.

The leading finishers in a youth-dominated AJ Bell Great South Run 5K were under-17 Jon Pepin (Southampton AC, 15:44 PB), under-20 Onjoro Sumba (Havant AC, 15:54) and Will Newnham (Ryde Harriers, 16:02).

The top three women in the 5K were under-20 Annie Mann (Winchester & District AC, 17:18 PB), under-17 Eve Bailey (Winchester & District AC, 19:05 PB) and Mia Billins (Havant AC, 19:33) who were among the 28 finishers inside 20 minutes.

Entries for next year's events are already on sale with great 'Super Early Bird' discounts. The dates are 19-20 October 2024 and to get into the spirit of the Great South Run by the sea, dive into this brief promo video by Great Run...

Link to results and previous reports at runABC South race listing here.

Photo courtesy Great South Run