Post by SheWolf on Sept 25, 2004 23:40:56 GMT 1
By Alison Dargie, The Journal
Record numbers of runners are just hours away from starting the biggest ever half marathon in the world.
A total of 49,000 people are due on the Great North Run start line at Newcastle tomorrow and thousands more are expected to line the now famous road to the finish in South Shields.
Every tourist bed in the region has been booked up for months with last-minute visitors being billeted as far afield as Harrogate and Carlisle. And extra Metros and ferries have been laid on to cope with the crowds and road closures.
Race places were filled in record time this year, with the event reaching its expanded limit in just 10 days, forcing organisers to close the list before the end of 2003.
David Hart, marketing director of race organisers Nova International, said: "The BUPA Great North Run has filled up substantially quicker than ever before. The fact that we filled up so quickly and so far in advance of the event shows that the Great North Run is one of the premier and most popular international road events in the world."
The Great North Junior Run, taking place on the quayside today, was almost as quick off the mark and reached its 6,000 quota well in advance. The growing popularity of the race is great news for health bosses looking for ways to motivate the "couch potato" generation as well as clubs and coaches hoping to uncover a new crop of distance running champions for the future.
And before that gets going, double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes is expected to draw massive crowds at 1.05pm in the BUPA Great North Mile races which kick off at noon on the Newcastle-Gateshead quayside.
This year's event has been billed as "one race with 49,000 stories" and, as it does every year, it has thrown up hundreds of awe-inspiring tales of achievement over adversity. The magic of the Great North Run has drawn in people like Ian Broomfield, of Wylam, who is defying a brain tumour to take part, and Trevor Jones, from London, who will become the first quadriplegic to complete the race.
Mr Hart said: "It is one race with 49,000 stories.
"Everyone who gets to the start line has their own story and their own reason for running, whether it's to challenge themselves or raise money for charity. That's the real spirit of the Great North Run."
Last year's race raised £8m for good causes and this year's event is on target to sweep past that figure.
Stars of stage, screen and sport will be mixing it with the masses to make their own bid for glory on the road to South Shields.
Sporting luminaries will include Olympic gold medal rowing hero Matthew Pinsent, Athens marathon runner Tracey Morris, athletics legend Chris Chataway, Leicester City manager Micky Adams, former Everton and Wales midfielder Barry Horne, referee Uriah Rennie and former National Hunt champion jockey Richard Dunwoody.
British actress Brenda Blethyn leads celebrities from the world of entertainment, including Daniel Casey - Troy from Midsomer Murders - Sam Callis and Michael Garner, from London's Burning, Steven Hartley from Holby City, Tony Curran from League of Gentlemen, David Lonsdale, Aislin McGuckin and Sarah Tansey from Heartbeat and a 15-strong team from Emmerdale.
Great North Run stalwart, former Labour spinmaster, Alastair Campbell, will be back, as will Nova International chief Brendan Foster, who founded the Great North Run in 1981.
BBC 1 will provide four hours of live coverage of the Great North Run from 9.30am tomorrow with highlights being shown on BBC2 at 6pm.
And on Monday, The Journal will provide the fullest coverage of the event with eight pages of pictures and reports over the weekend.
Record numbers of runners are just hours away from starting the biggest ever half marathon in the world.
A total of 49,000 people are due on the Great North Run start line at Newcastle tomorrow and thousands more are expected to line the now famous road to the finish in South Shields.
Every tourist bed in the region has been booked up for months with last-minute visitors being billeted as far afield as Harrogate and Carlisle. And extra Metros and ferries have been laid on to cope with the crowds and road closures.
Race places were filled in record time this year, with the event reaching its expanded limit in just 10 days, forcing organisers to close the list before the end of 2003.
David Hart, marketing director of race organisers Nova International, said: "The BUPA Great North Run has filled up substantially quicker than ever before. The fact that we filled up so quickly and so far in advance of the event shows that the Great North Run is one of the premier and most popular international road events in the world."
The Great North Junior Run, taking place on the quayside today, was almost as quick off the mark and reached its 6,000 quota well in advance. The growing popularity of the race is great news for health bosses looking for ways to motivate the "couch potato" generation as well as clubs and coaches hoping to uncover a new crop of distance running champions for the future.
And before that gets going, double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes is expected to draw massive crowds at 1.05pm in the BUPA Great North Mile races which kick off at noon on the Newcastle-Gateshead quayside.
This year's event has been billed as "one race with 49,000 stories" and, as it does every year, it has thrown up hundreds of awe-inspiring tales of achievement over adversity. The magic of the Great North Run has drawn in people like Ian Broomfield, of Wylam, who is defying a brain tumour to take part, and Trevor Jones, from London, who will become the first quadriplegic to complete the race.
Mr Hart said: "It is one race with 49,000 stories.
"Everyone who gets to the start line has their own story and their own reason for running, whether it's to challenge themselves or raise money for charity. That's the real spirit of the Great North Run."
Last year's race raised £8m for good causes and this year's event is on target to sweep past that figure.
Stars of stage, screen and sport will be mixing it with the masses to make their own bid for glory on the road to South Shields.
Sporting luminaries will include Olympic gold medal rowing hero Matthew Pinsent, Athens marathon runner Tracey Morris, athletics legend Chris Chataway, Leicester City manager Micky Adams, former Everton and Wales midfielder Barry Horne, referee Uriah Rennie and former National Hunt champion jockey Richard Dunwoody.
British actress Brenda Blethyn leads celebrities from the world of entertainment, including Daniel Casey - Troy from Midsomer Murders - Sam Callis and Michael Garner, from London's Burning, Steven Hartley from Holby City, Tony Curran from League of Gentlemen, David Lonsdale, Aislin McGuckin and Sarah Tansey from Heartbeat and a 15-strong team from Emmerdale.
Great North Run stalwart, former Labour spinmaster, Alastair Campbell, will be back, as will Nova International chief Brendan Foster, who founded the Great North Run in 1981.
BBC 1 will provide four hours of live coverage of the Great North Run from 9.30am tomorrow with highlights being shown on BBC2 at 6pm.
And on Monday, The Journal will provide the fullest coverage of the event with eight pages of pictures and reports over the weekend.