The Great North Run

Plaque name: The Great North Run.

Location: The Great Run Company, Tyne Bridge House, Bottle Bank, Gateshead, NE8 2AR. UK

Plaque awarded: 08/01/2024.

Reason: Plaque Category – Competition.

The Great North Run (1981) in the Northeast of England was the inspiration of Sir Brendan Foster, 1976 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist and world record breaker at 3000m and Two Miles.

On 28 June 1981, 12,264 people lined up in Newcastle, England for the first Great North Run. In 2014, the race celebrated its millionth finisher and broke the Guinness World Record for the largest half marathon, 57,000 runners with 41,615 finishing.

Two years later the race attracted entrants from 178 different countries, the most countries ever represented in a single running event in history. In 2017, the race saw a record 43,656 runners cross the finish line.

At the top end of the race, the Great North Run annually presents one of the world’s great elite fields. Its winners have included numerous world half marathon record breakers from Grete Waitz to Peres Jepchirchir and Michael Musyoki to Jacob Kiplimo.