News / Great Bristol Run
Starting line approaches for Great Bristol Run 2026
Runners are limbering up in advance of the Great Bristol Run, which will return to the city over the weekend.
The event attracts tens of thousands of participants for a range of events, including a dedicated run for children on Saturday; and a half marathon and 10k on Sunday with Bristol Bears players Max Lahiff and Jake Woolmore on official starting duties.
The children’s run is partnered with Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal, the official charity of Bristol Children’s Hospital.
Eight-year-olds Leo N and Leo P and six-year-old Luca will be running to raise money for the hospital, where Leo N, Luca and Leo N’s one-year-old sister Adley are patients.
“We’re excited about it,” Leo P said. “I wanted to help and I wanted to race for it.”
“Me and my baby sister were in here for two months,” Leo N said. “We all really wanted to help out – and at least get a medal.”
Members of the Give Yourself 30 campaign will be among the runners
Also turning out will be Chris Ritchens, a Bristol-based runner who started Give Yourself 30. The movement encourages people to take 30 minutes a day for themselves, whether through exercise or by focusing on another way to look out for themselves.
“It started off just as a personal challenge for a year to run 5km every day and raise awareness of how helping your physical health helps your mental health,” he said.
“That got a lot of traction and it got to a point where I had to create something that would promote exercise to ordinary people.”
Ritchens started a running club, which went from nine people attending in the first week to 56 at the latest session.
Many of his GY30-ers will be joining him for the run, as well as his wife.
Also taking place will be the sixth annual Visually Impaired Runners 10k challenge, the first dedicated race in the UK for blind and partially sighted runners.
The various events will be broadcast live on the Great Run YouTube channel from 8am as a first for 2026, with commentary from broadcaster and coach Lloyd Kempson and Olympian Chris Thompson.
All photos: Molly Pipe
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