Early Signs Looking Good Ahead of Great North Run This Sunday

Sir Brendan Foster kicked off the 2025 AJ Bell Great North Run in style this morning, hosting elite athletes and charity runners in the heart of Newcastle.

Joined by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, icons of the North East came together at Grey’s Monument for photos in front of a giant GNR25 sign on Grainger Street before heading to Fenwick Newcastle, stopping on the way to admire this year’s Great North Run finisher medal and T-shirt which are proudly displayed in the Fenwick window on Northumberland Street.

Hoping to secure her first Great North Run win, Commonwealth Games Champion and Great Run Company Ambassador, Eilish McColgan joined the celebrations alongside fellow elite athletes Kenyan’s Sheila Chepkirui and Vivian Cheruiyot, and Emily Sisson (USA).

Keen to improve on last year’s result and join her Mum Liz McColgan on the honours board, Eilish said; “I can’t wait to return to the AJ Bell Great North Run this year. I’ve had a great season this year, I’m feeling really strong this year so hopefully 2025 is third time lucky, when I can match mum’s success and win this year’s race. The crowds are always amazing all along the route – the buzz I get from hearing them will definitely spur me on!”

Also in attendance was defending champion Abel Kipchumba from Kenya, Olympic Silver medallist Bashir Abdi (Belgium) and 2024 London Marathon winner Alex Mutiso (Kenya).

We Are The GNR

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things has been the bedrock of the Great North Run for 44 years. This morning inspirational runners from across the North East also had the opportunity to share their reasons for running.

These included Barry Marshall, a Royal Mail Postman from Hebburn who has taken part in ever single Great North Run and will be lining up for the 44th time this Sunday. He shared his advice for first time runners with Matty Long, a local young student and mental health advocate gearing up for his first Great North Run, running alongside a friend he shook hands with in a pub back in January as a promise to take on this challenge together.

The event also brought together Maria Camacho Encina, Laura Booth, and Mille Fullerton, three scientists at Newcastle University, involved in groundbreaking British Heart Foundation (BHF) research, with Syed Muhammad Jawwad. The Newcastle based father, also running for BHF, is running to help fundraise so the vital research can continue after his youngest daughter was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Ahead of the running action this weekend which will see over 75,000 runners take part, tens of thousands of people have already entered the September Ballot for the 2026 AJ Bell Great North Run. Eager participants have until midnight on Sunday 14th September to register.

For your chance to be on that iconic start line – sign up here now.