Brendan Foster's dream for Great North Run

Oct 4 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal

THIS YEAR’S Great North Run will be the biggest ever and there is more to come, the event founder said last night.

Brendan Foster spoke to The Journal yesterday as part of the build up to a weekend of races. Today there are the Great North Run one-mile, two-mile and sprint events, before the main 13-mile run for elite men and women and wheel-chair athletes, as well as the mass participation race tomorrow.

Altogether more than 52,000 people will be running, with many raising money for good causes.

It is 27 years since Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist Brendan Foster devised the 13.1-mile route from Newcastle to South Shields.

And yesterday Mr Foster said: “It is going to be the largest ever event this year in terms of the number of people taking part and the events we have.

“We have been building up over the years after the first one in 1981 and we are just going from strength to strength.

“This is the first year we have introduced sprints, which hopefully will allow more people to get involved.

“And this year the race will be televised in Africa for the first time. It started out as a local event, then it became national and now it is truly international.”

And the expansion of the event will not stop there. Mr Foster outlined some of his future plans for the Great North Run.

“I envisage something that involves other sports.

For example we could have pole vaulting or the long jump. I would like to create an entire weekend of athletics that takes place in the city rather than a stadium,” he said.

North East running legend Steve Cram said he was looking forward to an open race.

“I think this year it is more open than it has ever been before, it is very hard to predict who will win.

“Jo Pavey has a great chance in the women’s race so we could see some British success this year.

“It’s about people coming from around the world to take part in the North East.”

A healthy list of celebrities will be taking part this year including BBC sport presenter Ray Stubbs, model Nell McAndrew and former minister for sport Richard Caborn.

Returning heroes from Beijing such as Rebecca Adlington, Chris Hoy and Ellie Simmonds will assist at the start

Tomorrow’s race will also feature the one millionth runner to take part in the Great North Run. Leanne Symonds, 32, from Cramlington, Northumberland, will join the elite runners at the start.

She said: “I’m quite nervous to be right at the front with all those professional athletes. I just hoping I don’t trip them or myself up, to be honest.”

----------------------------------------

The Journal is this year bringing you the first reports and pictures from the big race - on the day itself.

Come to journallive tomorrow to see pictures of the Great North Run participants and videos from the event.

On Monday, you’ll also be able to see the full race results and more pictures from the biggest event in the North East’s sporting calendar.