Great North Run in legal challenge
Organisers of a local charity run have changed the event’s name in case athletes confuse it with one of the UK’s most famous races.
The council which stages the annual Great East Anglia Run in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, has decided to change the event’s name to the Grand East Anglia Run - in case athletes confuse the race with the Great North Run in Newcastle upon Tyne.
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council said it made the change after lawyers representing the organisers of the annual Great North Run complained.
``We had a letter from lawyers representing the Great North Run,” said a council spokeswoman.
``The letter raised a ’passing off’ issue. We’ve tried to get more detail from them but haven’t had a response.
``We’ve made the decision to change the word ’Great’ to ’Grand’.
``This is a charity event. We don’t think it’s right for us to spend public money in legal arguments over something like this.
``People tend to refer to the race as ’Gear’ anyway so the word ’Grand’ won’t change that.”
The Grand East Anglia Run is next due to be staged on May 3 in King’s Lynn over a 10k course.
The Great North Run is next due to be staged in Newcastle over a 13.2 mile course on September 20.
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