Runners aiming to claim a place on the start-line for the Morrisons Great North Run on 11 September have until midday (GMT) on 8 February to enter this year’s edition of the iconic half marathon.
The race was the brainchild of 1976 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist Brendan Foster who was inspired to develop a mass participation event in the north-east of England modeled on the Round the Bays race which he took part in during a training trip to Auckland, New Zealand, in the build-up to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
The first edition of the Great North Run took place the following year with the rose-tinted view that some 5000 runners would turn up. In fact, some 12,000 runners toed the start-line in Newcastle to the surprise of many, including the inaugural winner Mike McLeod.
'On the way down there were already crowds forming along the route and nearing the finish people were sitting in deckchairs and having picnics in the car park. When I got to the start line in Newcastle I was astounded to see I was one of thousands of runners,' he said.
European running legends such as Grete Waitz, Ingrid Kristiansen, Rosa Mota, Paula Radcliffe and Mo Farah have all contested - and won - this famous race and played a small part in helping the Great North Run in 2014 to become the first in the world to officially record its one millionth finisher in race history.
That accolade unsuspectingly went to Tracey Cramond, an NHS buyer from nearby Darlington.
The address for registering for the Great North Run ballot is www.greatrun.org/north. Applicants must be aged 17 or over on the day of the event. All successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by 12 February.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
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