Great North Run heroes honoured at charity dinner

Apr 8 2009 The Journal

HEROES of the Great North Run were honoured at a star-studded bash last night.

The Bupa Great North Run Hall of Fame Charity Dinner, held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel, recognises special contributions to the 28-year-old event.

Famous faces at the dinner included model Nell McAndrew, sprinter Colin Jackson and Sir Jimmy Savile – who has run 26 out of 28 Great North Runs.

The 82-year-old, who yesterday enjoyed a trip around the Tyne and Wear Metro sampling the sites of Newcastle, refused to reveal if he was planning on running this year.

Nell McAndrew, however, hopes to beat her previous times – and promises to be in fancy dress. "I think the cape helped me last year," laughed the star, who ran dressed as Wonder Woman in 2008. "It’s more fun to be dressed up."

Olympic gold medallist Colin Jackson, who travelled from Kingston, Jamaica, to be at the dinner, heaped praise on the ordinary folk that take part every year. "I’ve always love watching the Great North Run," he said. "I love what the event stands for. It’s more than just the elite runners, its the human stories."

Among those ordinary folk to be honoured at last night’s dinner was George Nicholson, who won the Bupa Great North Run Award, in association with The Journal.

Mr Nicholson, 61, of Northside, Shadforth, County Durham, has taken part in every Great North Run since the event was launched – even after suffering serious complications to an operation and contracting MRSA. His determination has benefited a number of charities, including the hospice that cared for his late granddaughter Emily, who died from metachromatic leukodystrophy, aged just five.

Also honoured was the late Benson Masya, four times winner of the Great North Run, who was inducted into the Bupa Great North Run Hall of Fame. The Kenyan, who died at the age of 33 in 2003, was acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest ever road runners.

On his Great North Run debut, Masya set a world best performance of 60 minutes 24 seconds and insisting he could go faster, did exactly that. In 1994, after a nail-biting finish with Moses Tanui, he completed the 13.1 mile course in 60min 2sec.

Sonia O’Sullivan, winner of the 2000 Olympic 5,000m silver medal was also recognised for the contribution she has made to the event she has won twice.

The now retired Terry Rutherford, who used to close the roads of the 13.1 mile route including the passage over the famous Tyne Bridge, received his trophy from Nell McAndrew.

Nigel Gough, the race director, said: "Terry, despite the intense pressure he was under, always controlled his team brilliantly to ensure the race kept to its schedule."

Ray Scott, a club runner who organises the chaperones for the stars of stage and screen, was presented with his award by BBC Match of the Day commentator John Motson.