The Red Arrows will return to the 2026 Great North Run, with a flypast over the start line on the Tyne Bridge, event organisers have confirmed. The RAF display team's appearance at the annual half-marathon, which takes place on September 13, was announced in a social media post on Wednesday morning.
The post said: "We're thrilled to announce that the @rafredarrows will be back at this year's AJ Bell Great North Run, helping us celebrate our 45 year milestone in style." It added that the flypast will take place over the start around 10.50 (as the mass race starts) before heading to the finish at South Shields.
Iconic sight for runners and spectators
The sight of the Red Arrows soaring over thousands of runners as they cross the Tyne Bridge is a defining image of the Great North Run, with runners at the Newcastle start line often hearing the planes' roar before seeing them trail plumes of red, white and blue. The display team are in high demand worldwide, so their appearance at the event has never been guaranteed.
There is no news yet on whether the team will also perform a display in South Shields, as has been the case in some previous years.
Record numbers expected
A record 63,000 runners will cover the 13.1 mile route, cheered on by an expected 200,000-plus spectators. While weather conditions could affect the flypast, the announcement follows other welcome news from organisers.
It has also been confirmed that the demolition of Gateshead Flyover will not affect the run's route. Work on the flyover site, which coincides with the ongoing restoration of the Tyne Bridge, is on schedule, allowing the Gateshead section of the route to be used as normal.
