Supporting resilient mass participation events: policy recommendations for transport under extreme weather – a case study of the Great North Run 2023

Changing climate conditions are increasingly impacting outdoor mass-participation events that attract numerous participants and spectators, with broader implications for the transport network, such as limiting travel options due to flooding or increasing travel times. Failure to support adaptation methods and increase resilience can result in event cancellation, participant discouragement, and financial losses to infrastructure and transport operations, as well as event organisers. This paper presents a case study of the Great North Run (GNR), the world’s largest half-marathon, which experienced extreme heat followed by heavy rain in 2023, resulting in network-wide disruptions. We conduct a literature and policy document review and a survey of 319 runners to investigate the impact of extreme weather on transport and to derive recommendations for improved policy for future mass-participation events. While different policy frameworks exist in the transport and sports sectors, they are not sufficiently linked to ensure future events are adaptable and resilient to a changing climate. Furthermore, policy does not provide dedicated support for mass participation events at the regional level. Case study results highlight areas for improvement, including enhancing resilience in infrastructure and transport by identifying vulnerabilities, improving existing options, and providing alternative travel options. This paper then presents policy recommendations for event planning, multi-agency coordination, data, technology, communication, and knowledge sharing. These insights can help shape future policy, ensure better cross-sectoral collaboration among stakeholders, including infrastructure and transport operators, event organisers, and regional authorities and improve resilience and adaptability during future events.