The historic Blaydon Race will return to its traditional date on Tuesday 9 June 2026, finishing in Blaydon, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. The event will be held as an evening run with a scheduled start time of 19:15 to mark the local heritage inspired by the famous 1862 song by George “Geordie” Ridley.
Organised by the Blaydon Harrier and Athletics Club, the race covers approximately 5.9 miles and follows the route described in the song’s lyrics as closely as possible. Runners will begin in Newcastle and travel along Scotswood Road before crossing the river to finish near the Morrisons car park on Shibdon Road in Blaydon. The race was founded in 1981 by Dr James Dewar and has since become one of the North East’s most culturally significant sporting events.
Because the race takes place on a Tuesday evening, local residents and commuters should expect significant road closures and changes to bus services during the late afternoon and evening. Gateshead Council typically works with local police to close major arteries used by the route (for example Scotswood Bridge and Chainbridge Road) to keep the thousands of participants safe. These closures have, in past years, begun as early as mid‑to‑late afternoon (roughly 16:30–18:00) and can remain in place into the evening, depending on the year and the exact route.
The event has grown significantly over the decades and now typically hosts between 4,000 and 4,700 runners from across the region. Unlike many modern races that move to the nearest weekend, the Blaydon Race traditionally takes place on the ‘Ninth of Joon’ (9 June), which means the start time is generally in the evening when the date falls on a weekday and in the afternoon when it falls on a weekend.
Registration for the 2026 run is expected to open in January 2026; previous years have used a mixture of ballot and first-come-first-served entry systems. Those who complete the course will receive the traditional ‘beer and bait’ reward, typically a drink and a sandwich. The event remains a major community celebration and often produces a notable spike in trade for local pubs and shops in Blaydon as finishers celebrate their achievement.
