The Great North Run will welcome a record field of 63,000 runners on September 13, marking the biggest event in its 45-year history. Around 3,000 more participants than in recent years will line up at the Newcastle start, with more than 200,000 spectators expected to line the 13.1-mile route to South Shields.
Event founder Sir Brendan Foster previously said this year's occasion would be "one not to be missed", describing the run as "a celebration of ordinary people doing extraordinary things".
A landmark anniversary and global stage
Since its small-scale beginnings in 1981 as a "fun run", the event has grown into one of the world's most recognisable half-marathons, raising millions for charity and inspiring the wider Great Run Series across the UK. This year's AJ Bell Great North Run will be broadcast live on BBC1 and watched in more than 170 countries, with elite athletes and famous names among the crowd.
Runners with personal causes
Among the participants are Tracy and Nik Lamont from Bishop Auckland, who married near the start line in 2015. Now celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary, they are fundraising for St Benedict's Hospice in Sunderland in memory of Tracy's dad, who received end-of-life care there.
Courtney and Olivia Mole from Spennymoor are running in memory of their late mother, Christina, who took up running shortly before being diagnosed with cancer. They will raise money for Team Solan, a cancer support charity.
Newcastle's Ed White, a member of the All Runs Club who has taken part in every Great North Run since the start, is aiming to walk the route after undergoing triple heart bypass and aortic valve replacement surgery. Completing his 45th consecutive run would come a few days after his 77th birthday.
Ruth Johnson from Whitley Bay, who has performed as Dr Satsuma for the Clown Doctors scheme at the Freeman Hospital Children’s Heart Unit in Newcastle, will make her debut in her red nose and doctor's coat. She said finishing the run will be a "dream come true", adding: "This run is my gift to the programme and my way of saying thank-you for all the magic it has brought to my own life.”
A route with history
Those taking part on September 13 will follow in the footsteps of more than 1.4 million people who have run before them. Anyone hoping to join next year's event can sign up online for updates and notification of when the 2027 ballot opens.
