Accommodation Race Transfers Public Transport Travel by Car
It is important to plan your journey before the day of the event, with up to 55,000 runners and spectators making their way to the North East roads and public transport will be busy. The information below is aimed to help you plan your journeyand accommodation needs, you may be interested in our race transfer service if you don’t fancy the drive yourself or you may be looking for more information on how to use the Metro. Don’t forget to have a look at page 14 to 16 in the magazine.
Accommodation
Nirvana Europe Ltd
Nirvana Europe Ltd are the official accommodation and race day travel agent for the Bupa Great North Run and are delighted to have a whole host of accommodation options on sale for runners and spectators.
Ranging from the Official GNR Campsite to the 4* Official Race Hotel, all options can be booked on a stand alone basis, or including the Nirvana Europe Race Day Transfers, to and from the event
For further information and to book your accommodation online, please click here:
Bupa Great North Run Accommodation Booking
Please visit the Nirvana Europe website to book online, or alternatively do not hesitate to give them a call or send an email…very knowledgeable on the event and living in the area, they are perfect to take away the stress and strain from your travel arrangements.
Telephone: 0191 257 1750 - The Bupa Great North Run Helpline!
E-mail:
mail@nirvanaeurope.com;
Web:
www.nirvanaeurope.com;
Office Opening Hours: 9am - 5pm (Monday - Friday)
Race Transfers
Nirvana Europe Ltd
As the official travel partner of the Bupa Great North Run; Nirvana Europe Ltd are able to offer a number of race day transfer services to help take the stress and worry out of your race day preparations.
With the event starting and finishing in two separate locations, Nirvana Europe are delighted to offer the following transfer services:
Coach and Run
Exactly what the title says... Coach & Run your way to success at the Bupa Great North Run!
This new product provides the perfect solution for those who prefer to experience the Bupa Great North Run all in one day, eliminating the need for overnight accommodation and travelling up on the morning of the event, returning after you have ran yourself to glory!!
The Coach & Run Service currently operates from the following locations & costs £49.00 per person:
- York
- Leeds
- Edinburgh
- Carlisle
To book – please call Nirvana Europe on 0191 2571750 or book online here:
Bupa Great North Run Coach and Run Transfer Service
Return Race Day Transfers
Open for both runners and spectators, the GNR Race Day Transfer service provides you with a transfer to the start of the run, returning you after the event, to where you were collected from, or Newcastle City Centre.
Inner Zone - Cost: £29 per person (Return)
Newcastle, Durham, Gateshead, Morpeth and Sunderland
Outer Zone - Cost: £35 per person (Return)
Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Darlington, Teeside, Hexham
Race Finish to Newcastle City Centre – Cost: £15.00 per person
Operating from the race finish in South Shields to Newcastle City Centre
For further information and to book your race day transfers online, please click here:
Bupa Great North Run Race Day Transfers
Telephone: 0191 257 1750 - The Bupa Great North Run Helpline!
E-mail:
mail@nirvanaeurope.com;
Web:
www.nirvanaeurope.com;
Office Opening Hours: 9am - 5pm (Monday - Friday)
Public Transport
The Bupa Great North Run is well serviced by numerous public transport networks including the National Rail, Tyne and Wear Metro and local bus services. We strongly advise that all participants allow plenty of additional time to get to the Start before using the facilities and starting the run.
NATIONAL RAIL SERVICES
Newcastle has direct rail links with London, the Midlands and Scotland via the East Coast mainline as well as local stations. You may be able to travel to the event on the Sunday morning however it is recommended you check with National Rail or service provider’s to ensure your journey isn’t affected by weekend engineering works. Some operators will provide earlier services to ensure you are at the start line on time. For more information visit
nationalrail.co.uk
East Coast will be running two additional early morning trains of the morning of Sunday 16 September 2012.
An extra service will depart from Darlington at 07:25 calling at Durham and arriving in to Newcastle at 08:07. For those travelling from Yorkshire an additional service will run from Leeds at 05:55 and call at Wakefield, Doncaster, York, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham arriving in to Newcastle at 08:12. Tickets are now on sale for the additional train services, which can be booked online by visiting
eastcoast.co.uk or from a mobile
m.eastcoast.co.uk.
NETWORK ONE
For 2012 a new Day Rover ticket package is on offer exclusively for the Bupa Great North Run from Network One.Network One Day Rovers will enable you to use just one ticket for any bus service in Tyne & Wear, including special Great North Run services, the Metro and the Ferry. At the reduced price of £5.50 for one day, £10 for two days and £15 for three days this is the easiest way to get around Tyne & Wear over the Great North Run Weekend. Special offer only available online in advance. See
networkonetickets.co.uk
METRO
Metro is the quick and easy way to get around.
Regular trains from every 6 mins, linking you to 60 stations across Tyne and Wear.
- Extra Metro trains running throughout the day between Newcastle and South Shields
- Please leave extra time as trains will be very busy
- Start Line-Newcastle . Nearest Metro station- Haymarket (approx a 15min walk to the start)
- Finish Line-South Shields. Nearest Metro station- South Shields (located on King Street, approx a 15 min walk from the finish)
Metro travel wristbands
Avoid queuing for a ticket on the day and buy your travel wristband in advance at nexus.org.uk/metro or come and see us at the Bupa Great North Show.
Buying your ticket on the day? You should buy a Metro DaySaver (return) from ticket machines located at every station. Machines may only accept coins (£4.20 for all zones).
Please expect a significant wait on your way home, due to the high volume of people travelling.
Keep up to date with latest travel information on the day and visit
nexus.org.uk/metro
Twitter:
@My_Metro
Facebook:
facebook.com/mymetrotw
BUS
Special bus services for spectators and competitors are available on the day of the Bupa Great North Run. Whether you are travelling to see the start or finish of just wanting to get home after the event, there will be a Go North East or Stagecoach bus to help you on your journey.
Getting to the start from South Shields
Before the start of the race buses will run every 10 minutes between 06.15 and 09.30 from Bents Park Road in South Shields (see finish area map on page 23) to Newcastle Haymarket which is five minutes’ walk from the start line.
Catch the Go North East service R1 and Stagecoach service 553. Bents Park Road is next to a number of the seafront car parks and within easy walking distance of town centre car parks within South Shields. If you are using the temporary car parking south of the finish line on the grassed area of the Leas, you can use the shuttle
buses that run from the Coast Road alongside the Leas back into Newcastle. This service is operated by Stagecoach and will run continuously from 06.30 to 08.30.
Getting to the Finish of the Run race
For spectators, the R1 Go North East service runs from Newcastle Haymarket bus station to the race finish at South Shields every 10 minutes between 07.00 and 12.00. From Heworth and Gateshead interchanges Go North East service 27 runs frequently to South Shields.
Getting home after the race
Buses run every 10 minutes from Bents Park, five minutes walk from the finish line, to Newcastle Haymarket bus
station between 12.30 and 17.00. Look out for Go North East R1 and Stagecoach service 553. Additional buses
will also run on Go North East service 27 from South Shields Town Centre.
Bus fares and tickets
On the day tickets can be bought on the bus and from on street agents located near the bus stops. Some tickets can be bought in advance of the Bupa Great North Run day, see below for details.
Go North East buses
Stagecoach buses 553
£3.50 per journey on the day
Concessionary passes are valid on Stagecoach buses but not on Go North East buses.
Please note that tickets issued for the Metro train system are not valid on the bus services and that prices may vary from one bus operator to another.
FERRY
Shields Ferry
The Shields Ferry between North and South Shields will operate extra crossings and will run from 8.45am to 6.00pm. For more details visit
www.nexus.org.uk/ferry
Travel by Car
If you do decide to travel to the event by car it is important to note that no event parking is available at the start. We advise you to use one of the following options:
- Drive and park at the finish, then catch a Metro or shuttle bus from the Leas or Bents Park Road to Haymarket Metro and the start. Parking is available on the seafront and in South Shields town centre. Please note parking
charges will apply so please bring loose change. - Park in one of the designated parking areas in Newcastle city centre, do not park in areas which have police restrictions in place. You can then catch either the metro or a shuttlebus back from South Shields to the city centre after your run.
- Get dropped off at the start and collected from the finish.If you are being dropped off at the start we recommend that you are dropped off near to Haymarket Metro Station. If you have someone coming to collect you from the finish and you normally get picked up on the Leas, please be aware that to speed up exit from the car parks here there will be no entry after 1400. Hence please ask the driver to be parked up in the Leas prior to this (other car parks in the Town Centre or seafront are unaffected). It is key to plan your journey in advance, stay relaxed and aim to get to the start in plenty of time (Study the maps for details). If you follow this advice you’ll be able to relax on the morning of your run and make your day all the more enjoyable.
Leaving South Shields after the run
PLEASE FOLLOW SIGNED EXIT ROUTES TO REDUCE CONGESTION
Additional routes will be opened as the race progresses and junctions on exit routes are cleared but please be patient, 75,000 people exit South Shields after the race, please stay in line.
