Hannah Irwin and Kadar Omar were crowned the 2026 AJ Bell Great South Run winners in Portsmouth on Sunday 18 October, taking the UK 10-mile titles in the elite races. The event was reported to have drawn around 26,000 runners in sunny conditions.
In the women's race, Irwin of Cambridge & Coleridge AC ran 53:34 on her first appearance at the event. The 28-year-old broke clear in the final 200 metres to beat defending champion Verity Ockenden, who finished three seconds behind in 53:37. Daisy Glover was third in 54:53.
Irwin said the wind was a headwind for much of the course, with a tailwind into the finish, a combination that rewarded patience and a strong closing effort. Ockenden had returned to Portsmouth to defend her crown.
The men's race was settled later. Omar, 30, of Birchfield Harriers, pulled away after 15 kilometres and extended his lead over the final kilometre to win in 47:27. Twice Olympian Andy Butchart, who had gone through 10 kilometres with Omar in 29:34, was second in 47:49, and Alex Durant of Sheffield & Dearne was third.
The Great South Run has long been a fixture on the British road calendar and a key target for domestic distance runners. The Portsmouth results give the autumn road season a further domestic highlight.