Key Points
- Record-Breaking Numbers: A record 63,000 individuals will be competing in the major 13.1-mile race on Sunday, retaining its title of the world’s biggest half marathon.
- A Significant Achievement for the Youth Event: Saturday witnessed the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Mini and Junior races on Newcastle Quayside, with a huge crowd of 13,000 youngsters taking part.
- Famous Starters: BBC Gladiators stars Alex Gray (Apollo), Emily Steel (Dynamite), and Matty Campbell (Bionic), and the official mascot Tyney the Tortoise rang the starters’ bell on Saturday. Newcastle United’s captain Dan Burn is set to ring the bell for the major race on Sunday.
- Route of the Race: The major race covers a 13.1 miles (21 km) route starting from the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne and crossing Gateshead and South Tyneside to end on the finish line at South Shields.
- Official Quotes: Organizers of the event confirmed that this year the youth turnout was the biggest in the event’s 40-year history.
Newcastle upon Tyne (Newcastle Times) September 12, 2026 — Tens of thousands of professional athletes, charity runners, and enthusiastic supporters have gathered on Tyneside as the annual Great North Run weekend officially got under way. The prestigious sporting weekend opened with Saturday’s youth races along Newcastle’s vibrant Quayside, setting the stage for Sunday’s main half marathon, which will see an estimated 63,000 runners cross the start line in central Newcastle and race towards the coast at South Shields.
What makes this year’s Great North Run weekend historic?
As reported by journalists at BBC News, the 2024 edition of the Great North Run weekend marks a monumental milestone for youth athletics in the North East. Saturday’s Mini and Junior races celebrated their 40th anniversary, drawing a record participation of 13,000 young people.
The courses, which ranged from short 50-metre (164 ft) dashes for toddlers to 4-kilometre (2.5 miles) challenges for teenagers, transformed Newcastle’s waterfront into a hive of athletic activity. Race officials highlighted that this turnout represents the largest single youth gathering in the event’s four-decade legacy.
According to statements released by event organisers through BBC News, the Mini and Junior competitions provide young participants with a rare platform to experience the electric atmosphere of world-class athletics:
“The events give youngsters the chance to experience their own Great North Run moment – creating memories, soaking up the atmosphere and, for many, getting a taste of what the main event feels like.”
Who are the official starters for the 2024 events?
The starter’s platform featured a star-studded lineup across both days of competition, blending local sporting heroes with television personalities to signal the commencement of the races.
Who rang the starters’ bell on Saturday?
As documented in the coverage by BBC News, Saturday’s starters’ bell for the Mini and Junior events was jointly rung by high-profile stars from the hit BBC television series Gladiators. Alex Gray, known to viewers as ‘Apollo’, Emily Steel, known as ‘Dynamite’, and Matty Campbell, known as ‘Bionic’, presided over the starting line.
Joining the television personalities on stage was Tyney the Tortoise, the official mascot of the Great North Run, who helped signal the start of each age-bracket wave along the Quayside.
Who will start the main race on Sunday?
For the main 13.1-mile half marathon on Sunday, organisers secured local football icon Dan Burn. The Newcastle United defender and North East native was named as the official starter tasked with pressing the button to release the 63,000-strong field onto the course.
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What is the official route for Sunday’s main event?
Sunday’s flagship race takes thousands of elite athletes, wheelchair competitors, and charity fundraisers along a historic 13.1-mile (21 km) journey connecting iconic urban landmarks with the North East coastline.
Where does the Great North Run start and finish?
As detailed by BBC News reporting, the race follows its traditional linear trajectory:
- The Start (Newcastle upon Tyne): Runners assemble central to Newcastle, passing beneath the iconic Tyne Bridge during the opening miles.
- The Middle Stretch (Gateshead & South Tyneside): The course cuts through Gateshead and progresses across the South Tyneside borough along key arterial highways.
- The Finish (South Shields): Competitors descend onto the final coastal stretch alongside the North Sea in South Shields, where thousands of spectators traditionally line the cliffside finish area.
How has the Great North Run evolved over four decades?
Since its inauguration in 1981 by Olympic bronze medallist Sir Brendan Foster, the Great North Run has grown from an initial field of 12,000 runners into the world’s largest half marathon.
The addition of dedicated wheelchair divisions, elite international fields, and expansive youth categories has consolidated the event’s standing as a cornerstone of the global running calendar. Beyond elite athletic performance, the weekend serves as one of the single largest fundraising platforms in the United Kingdom, generating millions of pounds annually for national and regional charities.
