Daniel Wales reports from the Great North Run’s 2025 launch event, as elite runners and charity runners prepare to take on the world’s biggest half marathon.
00:0112 months on from a soggy and overcast event in 2024, the Great North Run is back for 2025.
00:09A North East icon met another North East icon as the Great North Run held its launch event on Fenix rooftop terrace ahead of the main run on Sunday.
00:18Several of the elite runners and charity representatives were in attendance to speak about their aims and promote their causes in what is the world's biggest half marathon.
00:28This is the 44th running of the Great North Run since its inception in 1981, but the enthusiasm and the passion for the event and for the region still remain as strong as ever.
00:40North East Mayor Kim McGuinness revealed what has inspired her to take part in the event once again.
00:47Well, as a runner, honestly, pressure brings me back to the Great North Run.
00:52No, I'm only joking. It is an incredible atmosphere. It's an amazing thing.
00:56And it does give you a proper sense of achievement to kind of line up with the 60,000 runners, you know, the biggest half marathon in the world.
01:03And then when you get to the finish line, you're absolutely exhausted. You've given everything, but it does feel really good.
01:08And then I suppose more importantly in that I always run for charity. So this year I'm running for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation to help them build their cancer institute at the Freeman and also for Love Amelia, which is a baby poverty charity.
01:20And obviously I campaign an awful lot on trackling child poverty. And we've invested an awful lot in that in the region. And so it's all of those things, really. But it's not a natural thing for me.
01:30On the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, of course, a man revered by the whole Northeast, that in particular is a charity that's well represented at the Great North Run and a lot of other sports writers.
01:39So why is it so special that you're part of that charity?
01:42For me, we need to be known for this. They've had the special cancer ward at the Freeman for a long time now. And through that, they've run clinical trials and therapeutic services.
01:54They've developed two world leading drugs out of this region through the research that they're doing. And yeah, I don't think that that is something that's widely known around the world or around the country.
02:04And so I want to draw attention to that because they are saving lives. They are changing lives. And now what they want to do is build that bespoke institute where they can double the number of people that they're seeing.
02:15And, you know, really ramp that that research and that development up so that we can treat more cancers because everybody's touched by it. It affects every single family now.
02:24And so for me, that is a massive North Easting. It's a real point of pride for us. But it's more important than that. It's about saving lives.
02:33Elite athlete Eilish McColgan explained just what makes this course so difficult.
02:39Yeah, it's definitely a challenging course. I remember I was sort of sold a dream in the first time because I remember someone said Paula Radcliffe's what the time she'd run on this course.
02:49And so everyone said, oh, it's a fast course because Paula ran 65 something. And then when I remember doing it for the first time, thinking I'm just running hill after another hill after another hill.
02:58So there's it's a challenging course for sure. There's a lot of rolling hills, but it's just a lot of good fun, like especially that last mile, even though it feels like the longest mile in history.
03:09You can see the finish line for a long way, but the atmosphere and people like cheering from the sides is what makes this very different.
03:15You know, it is honestly a lot of fun. I think when it gets tough, you've got the crowds sort of willing your towards that finish line.
03:22And so, yeah, definitely not one of the easiest or flattest courses in the world. Also get the added challenge of the weather to last year was monsoon biblical type rain.
03:31So, yeah, fingers crossed we get some some decent sunshine on the weekend.
03:36And so if it is a nice day, what would you be hoping for in terms of time? I mean, you said your dad still got that record in terms of your family.
03:42I mean, is that is that is that plausible?
03:44Yeah, I mean, it was nice to obviously break my mom's record last year. And then my dad reminded me he's ran like about a minute faster on the course.
03:50So technically has the family record. I'm not trying to put too much focus on times because I just said, like the way you never know what the weather is going to be like.
03:58It is a tough, challenging course. So for me, it's really about trying to be competitive and be as close to the win as I possibly can.
04:05We have the New York Marathon champion here. We have third placer and Vivian, the American record holder for half and marathon.
04:13So it is a really strong field. I just want to be competitive against those top girls. And of course, if I can take the win on Sunday, that would be a dream come true.
04:21It's been a glorious day here on Tyneside with blue skies sweeping over the city. And those running on Sunday will certainly hope for more of that and not the biblical rain that dampened last year's event.
04:32But whatever the weather, the run will still draw in the crowds with tens of thousands set to grace the 13.1 miles between Newcastle and South Shields on Sunday, hoping to do themselves proud.
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