BUSINESS CHALLENGE

It’s time to save the spreadsheets and wrap-up that meeting – next on the agenda is the AJ Bell Great Run Series Business Challenge!

The Business Challenge is a corporate running challenge in the biggest cities across the UK. It’s open to organisations of all shapes and sizes, is suitable for groups large or small (minimum team of 4) and is great for all ages and abilities. If you’re tired of cringey teambuilding exercises, it’s a great way to invest in workforce wellbeing for a happier and healthier team. To find out more, view our 2026 brochure below, or see our FAQ section.

New for 2026 – Reserve your entries with a deposit

Secure your team places at today’s price with a 20% deposit, and lock the full entry fee at the rate you book. You can increase or decrease numbers before the deadline, giving you added flexibility. See FAQ here for more information. T&Cs apply.

A team can be four or more, there is no maximum number of team members.

The finishing times of the fastest 4 members of the team will be used to calculate the overall team time.

Manage your team through an easy-to-use group dashboard. Swap runners up until six weeks before the event.

The winning team at each event will receive a trophy to display with pride.

Sign Up Here

Please complete the form below and select your chosen payment option before submitting. You can choose to pay in full by card payment, or by requesting an invoice, or choose to pay a 20% deposit on receipt of an invoice. A booking fee (£3.00 per transaction) is added on payment, and teams with 15 or more members are entitled to a 10% discount (per transaction).

Glasgow City Council’s Environmental Levy of £2 +VAT (£2.40 per entry) will be added to each Great Scottish Run 10k and Half Marathon entry, find out more here.

50+ runners lined up? Get in touch at commercial@thegreatruncompany.com to discuss a tailored package. If purchased as a business transaction you are able to claim back VAT.

This year, 300 of our team members participated in the Great North 5K. The event was a tremendous success, generating a lot of excitement about running!
Nissan
The atmosphere was incredible, with so many supporters cheering us on every step of the way. If you’re thinking about joining, I highly recommend it!
AJ Bell
It creates a real buzz around the office as the day approaches and we always enjoy the event itself. We can’t wait to take on the challenge again next year!
Procentia
An amazing event to be part of, that is opened up to all of our staff to take part. Everyone can run their own race and winning was a bonus!
Manchester City BeActive
Taking part in the business challenge enhances the sense of teamwork as we come together to support one of our in-house charities, Wood Steet Mission.
Kuits

Business Challenge FAQ

About Business Challenge

Who can enter?

The Business Challenge is open to organisations of any size, you just need a team of 4 people (minimum) to enter.

How do I enter a team?

Work out the size of your team (this must be a minimum of 4 people) select which event and distance you want to enter and complete the entry form above. You’ll be directed to a payment form to complete payment to secure your entries. Once payment is received, we’ll give the nominated team coordinator access to your group dashboard to invite your team. All your runners need to do is complete the online form to secure their entry.

What is included in the entry price?

Entry includes a race place and entry into the Business Challenge for your chosen event. All runners will receive a finisher’s t-shirt and medal and get access to exclusive runner-only discounts via our Rewards Platform. There is the opportunity to claim back VAT if it’s a business transaction. The experience of running a Great Run event is unrivalled – running through the heart of each city, with tens of thousands of runners and even more supporters, music from start to finish and a lively event village for post-event celebrations.

How is the winning team decided?

The finishing times of the four fastest team members of your team are used to calculate your qualifying finish time, and decide the winner of each event. The winning team at each event will receive a Business Challenge trophy to display with pride.

How does the new deposit scheme work?

Simply select the ‘Pay deposit’ option on the booking form to secure your team at today’s price with a 20% deposit. Increase or decrease numbers before the deadlines below for added flexibility. Please note that entries are not confirmed until the full payment is made (deadlines apply). For any entries not fully paid by the relevant deadline, the deposit will be lost. Please see Ts&Cs for further details.

What is the deposit deadline for each event?

The deposit deadline for each event is as follows:

AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run, Great Bristol Run & Great Manchester Run:
Deposit deadline 31st January 2026
Confirmation of Team numbers by 1st February 2026
Full entry payment by 28th February 2026
Entry redemption by 10am Friday pre-event

AJ Bell Great North 10k:
Deposit deadline 31st March 2026
Confirmation of Team numbers by 1st April 2026
Full entry payment by 30th April 2026
Entry redemption by 10am Friday pre-event

AJ Bell Great North 5k:
Deposit deadline 30th April 2026
Confirmation of Team numbers by 1st May 2026
Full entry payment by 30th June 2026
Entry redemption by 10am Friday pre-event

AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, Great South Run:
Deposit deadline 30th June 2026
Confirmation of Team numbers by 1st July 2026
Full entry payment by 31st July 2026
Entry redemption by 10am Friday pre-event

For all events, the deadline to redeem entries is 10am on the Friday before the event.

When will we receive iTABs?

iTAB medal attachments will be engraved with each runner’s individual name, finish time and your Company name. If you have purchased iTABs for your team in your booking, they will produced after the event and posted out directly to individual runners’ addresses.

Businesss Challenge Events

1/7

3 May 2026

Great Birmingham Run

10 May 2026

Great Bristol Run

31 May 2026

Great Manchester Run

5 July 2026

Great North 10k

11 September 2026

Great North 5k

4 October 2026

Great Scottish Run

18 October 2026

Great South Run

Training Advice

1/9

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