Masses descend to raise £25m in greatest of runs

GREAT NORTH RUN 2025

- BARBARA HODGSON Reporter

THE world spotlight was on Tyneside yesterday as 60,000 people embarked on the 44th Great North Run.

Newcastle city centre was buzzing from early morning as runners made their way to the start on the Central Motorway, and the atmosphere was similarly building in South Shields well ahead of the finish.

Starting later than the elite runners - some of them hours later - were floods of runners who, between them, would raise an estimated £25m for charities.

Among the celebrities lining up for the race - which began with Newcastle United stars Jacob Murphy and goalie Nick Pope as race starters ringing the bell - was Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes, who said race founder Sir Brendan Foster had been trying to get her to take part for 21 years.

“I've actually started the run off before so I know how fantastic it is,” she said, adding she loved the pre-run buzz and being “immersed in it among the other runners” running it for personal reasons or for charity.