There are a total of eight races in the season. All races start at 7:00pm, except for Blyth 10K and the Fairbairn Cup, which start at 6:45pm.
- Tuesday 1 September 2026 – Blyth 10k #1
- Tuesday 29 September 2026 – Grand Prix Race #2
- Tuesday 3 November 2026– Grand Prix Race #3
- Tuesday 1 December 2026 – Grand Prix Race #4
- Tuesday 5 January 2027 – Grand Prix Race #5
- Tuesday 2 February 2027 – Grand Prix Race #6
- Tuesday 2 March 2027 – Grand Prix Race #7
- Tuesday 13 April 2027 – Fairbairn Cup #8
Entry Information
Teams of 8 @ £200 per team (8 x £25.00). There is a maximum limit of 38 teams.
Entry deadline: Midnight, Sunday 2 August 2026.
To celebrate 40 years of the Grand Prix each runner will receive a complimentary t-shirt; these will be given to the team captains ahead of the Blyth 10k on Tuesday 1 September 2026. Please state the size required on the entry form (XS, S, M, L, XL etc.)
IMPORTANT – each runner will be issued with a race number at
the Blyth 10k event. This number will be used for the entire season so please do not throw it away!
Race Number Rules
- Numbers must be clearly visible on the front of clothing
- Numbers and timing chips must not be obscured by running packs/clothing/lights etc.
- No homemade or incorrect numbers permitted
- Lost numbers incur a 50 point fine that will apply to team scores
- Requests for new numbers from the RD must be done before 6.50pm (10 minutes before the start)
- Runners without numbers will not have results recorded and will receive maximum points as if they hadn’t ran
Handicaps and Points Classification
The GP is a series of timed training sessions based on a handicap system.
- The first event is a blind handicap based upon your season performance and stated times (on entry form) – these are checked online, so be honest!
- Handicaps are adjusted after each race based on your performance
- Final standings = best 6 of races 1-7 + race 8
- The final individual points classification is based on points from your best 6 sessions from events 1-7 plus your event 8 points.
- At each race, the first 4 runners in each team will score in the Team merit awards.
Race Awards
An award and a Grand Prix training top will be presented to the first three finishers at the finish of each race.
Series Awards
Awards will be presented at the NSP Awards and Presentation night to:
- The top three individuals overall
- The winning team overall
- The fastest male and female athletes over the standard course (events 2–7)
- A new course record (special award)
- The Dave Kitching Special Award, recognising an outstanding contribution to the event.
Routes
Blyth 10k
The Blyth 10k starts on the promenade by the Beach Huts, heading north. The route then turns left at the Dave Stephens Centre, before turning left again to head south towards Blyth Battery.
At Blyth Battery, the course veers left onto Eve Black Way and continues south until reaching the area near the entrance to Blyth and Seaton Sluice Beach Car Park. Here, runners turn right and head north along Links Road.
On reaching Blyth Battery again, the route turns right to head south along Eve Black Way for a second time. It then follows the path, turning right at The Dunes Park and right again to rejoin Links Road heading north.
At Blyth Battery, continue north along the path beside the car park, then turn right at Blyth Bandstand. The route finishes with a right turn onto the promenade, heading south back to the starting point near the Beach Huts.
Grand Prix – Races 2-7
The Grand Prix route starts near Briardene Car Park and follows an out-and-back course along the coast to High Point Bay, covering approximately 5.5 km.
On the outward leg, runners follow the pavement to Spanish City Plaza before continuing up along the coast towards High Point. At High Point, the course drops down into the bay, follows the lower path along the beach level, and then climbs the ramp at the far end.
The return leg retraces a similar route, but instead of staying on the upper path, runners drop down to complete the full length of the Northern Promenade before finishing with a climb back up to the start point near Briardene Car Park.
Fairbairn Cup
This route follows a similar course to the main Grand Prix but starts at St Mary’s Headland Car Park. From there, it joins the coastal out-and-back route towards High Point Bay, using the same paths and key turning points as the original course.
The total distance for this variation is just over 5 miles (approximately 8.3 km).
Additional Information
All enquiries: nspgrandprix@gmail.com
Please remember organisers give their time freely and without expectation of favour.
Please always follow their instructions/requests as they will be made on a holistic view of the event flow and safety of all; on the night refusal will result in the runner being withdrawn from that event.
Organisers reserve the right to refuse entry.
