Around 23,000 people ran the 2025 AJ Bell Great Bristol Run half marathon on Sunday, 11 May, with an estimated £1million expected to be raised for charity. This was easily a record entry after 15,000 had taken part last year.

The Great Bristol Run programme started with the 10K race at 8:30am, with the fifth annual Visually Impaired 10K going a few minutes earlier, followed by the half marathon at 10:00am. All races were started in waves to accommodate the huge entry list.

The Great Bristol Run has been held in this great maritime city since 1989. New transport options this year included a 'park and rail' facility for travellers to park at Bristol Parkway and travel by train to Bristol Temple Meads for a 20-minute walk to the start. The Bristol Ferry also offered discounts and even free runner transport for groups.

The top three in the 10K were Bermudan athlete Dage Minors (Bristol & West AC, 30:24), Morgan Roberts (Herne Hill Harriers, 30:52) and Greg Hayward (Westbury Harriers, 31:14). Former GB international Gemma Steel (Charnwood AC, 34:59) was a clear winner of the women's race from Rhiannon Kirk (Army AAC, 36:32) and Sarah Trahair-Williams (Best Athletics, 37:33).

As the temperature rose, so did the heart rates of the half marathon runners assembled on the fast-paced Orange Wave start line. The course, alongside the River Avon and through Avon Gorge, soon strung out the massive field.    

The AJ Bell Great Bristol Half Marathon men's podium was filled by local favourite Max Davis (Bristol & West AC, 1:06:24), Joseph O'Connell (Aldershot Farnham & District AC, 1:06:54) and Jack Millar (Bristol & West AC, 1:08:08).

The women’s half-marathon title went to Rosie Hamilton-James (Westbury Harriers, 1:15:58). The defending champion, Hannah Alderson (Team Bath AC, 1:18:38), was runner-up this time, and 18-year-old Freya Bradley (Westbury Harriers, 1:20:05) was third on her half-marathon debut. All three women (pictured above) started their running careers with long-serving Westbury coach Pat Gallagher.
 
The date for the next AJ Bell Great Bristol Run is Sunday, 10 May 2026. Super Early Bird entries, open until Monday 19 May, are available from £33 (10K) and £43 (Half Marathon). Find out more and enter at the official Great Bristol Run website...

Results and previous event reports at the runABC South race listing here.

Photos courtesy of Great Bristol Run on Facebook