WORLD Championships gold medal winner Mo Farah will start this year’s Bupa Great North Run.

The 28-year-old will make his first appearance since becoming world 5,000m champion to run at the Great North City Games on Saturday before firing the starting gun on Sunday.

The Somalia-born athlete will become the latest celebrity to be given the honour of appearing at the beginning of the world’s biggest half-marathon.

Previous starters of the run include Sting, Sir Bobby Robson, Dame Kelly Holmes, Jackie Charlton, Jonathan Edwards and Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson. Last year saw Geordie TV duo Ant and Dec do the honours.

The start of this year’s event will prove even more spectacular for the 54,000 runners when the Red Arrows display team performs a tribute to Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, 33, who was killed in a display at Bournemouth last month.

The team will fly over runners moments before Farah fires the pistol.

A few minutes later, the Red Arrows will stage their traditional fly-past over the Tyne Bridge in the “missing man” formation as a mark of respect and honour to their former colleague, known as Red 4.

Graeme Bagnall, the on-the-ground commander of the famous display team, said: “The Bupa Great North Run is one of our favourite displays of the season and we were thrilled when asked if we would like to be the honorary starters of the event.

“We are also so pleased to be able to fly over the Tyne Bridge and it feels fitting that we will fly in the missing man formation to honour Jon.”

Farah will be joined by fellow World Championship medallists Hannah England, who won silver in the 1500m, and Andy Turner, who earned 110m hurdle bronze, when Great Britain and Northern Ireland take on the US in the Great North City Games on Gateshead Quayside on Saturday.

Mo, who is already back in training after his epic displays in Korea, said: “I’m looking forward to returning to Newcastle for the Great North City Games.

“I won races there in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and will look to get another victory on the quayside this year. I’m always happy to run for my country and will try my best to make sure we beat them in the team competition.

“I’ve had a great reception since coming back from Daegu and I hope the crowds come out to cheer us on next Saturday.”

The Red Arrows will also perform their traditional display at the finish area in South Shields on Sunday as thousands of weary runners cross the finish line.