You might be there to cheer on a loved one, but you can still enjoy some Edinburgh history and grab a drink or quick a bite to eat on the way. You’ll also be in charge of finding a post-run fuel stop for the tired charity fundraiser in your life, so why not get in the know before you go?
Start line: Holyrood Park
On your marks… get set… and join the crowds at the Great Run start line, making sure you make lots of noise! With Arthur’s Seat on one side, and the Queen’s official Scottish residence – the Palace of Holyroodhouse– on the other, this is a beautiful spot. The park’s 640 acres of grassland also features the dramatic ruins of St Anthony’s Chapel, a 15th Century medieval church, and the picturesque Duddingston Loch, where the 10-mile runners will eventually end up on their way back around to the finish line.
Edinburgh Old Town
Both the 5-mile and 10-mile participants will head into Edinburgh’s Old Town, so if you want to follow the route, you’ll see some of the city’s most famous sites, including St. Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, where you can see the Heart of Midlothian embedded into the cobbles. Grab a caffeine hit with an excellent flat white from The Milkman on Cockburn St, a charming, tiny café which also does raspberry brownies and Cranachan cake, and think about how hard those runners are working.
The Mound
Perhaps you’d rather support the runners from the Mound, an artificial hill which was created in 1765 from 1.5 million cartloads of earth, excavated from the foundations of Edinburgh’s New Town. As they all struggle up it, you could nip into the Scottish National Gallery to get a culture fix. Here you’ll see some wonderful paintings by Titian, Poussin and Cezanne, as well doodles by some guys called Vincent Van Gogh and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Grassmarket
A good place to cheer on the 5-milers is the Grassmarket, a historical area which is a popular spot for pubs, bars and shops. Traditionally, public hangings took place here, and on the site where the gallows once stood there is now a pub called The Last Drop. You might even meet the resident ghost, a young girl who regularly plays tricks on staff and customers.
The Meadows
Watching the Great Run with kids? The route passes the Meadows, a large public park with a children’s playground and a giant chessboard, not far from the Royal Mile. There are also lots of street food stalls and small cafes scattered around the edges, like Susie’s Wholefood Wagon and Tupiniquim, which sells delicious Brazilian crepes.
Back to Holyrood
If you’re staying put in the Holyrood area, close to the start and finish line, you’ll see the home of the Scottish Parliament and Dynamic Earth, an interactive museum dedicated to natural phenomenon. (Secret parenting tip: if it’s raining and you’ve got restless toddlers in tow, there’s also a great little soft play tucked away behind the gift shop.)
Post-run pick-me-up
When the Great Run is over, athletes could do worse than a healthy meal at famed Edinburgh veggie restaurant Hendersons, a stone’s throw from the Scottish Parliament. Or they may prefer to hobble back to the Royal Mile to the Burgers and Beers Grillhouse for something more substantial. Either way, you have been an excellent supporter, and you deserve a big lunch, too. Well done!