Summary

  • More than 63,000 have entered the run including the Prime Minister Andy Burnham

  • It will be the 45th time the half marathon has been held

  • Runners start in Newcastle before running over the Tyne Bridge and finish in South Shields

  • You can watch live on BBC One from 10:00 and at the top of this page

  • The elite men and main start is at 10:50

Live Reporting

Edited by Julie Cush

  1. Steet artist has designed this year's medals

    There were a few red faces last year when medals given to runners featured the wrong city and river - Sunderland and the River Wear rather than an aerial view of Tyneside and the River Tyne.

    This year Newcastle street artist Mul is behind the design with his well-known Running Heart characters alongside the Tyne Bridge - elite athlete Eilish McColgan stands beside the design below.

    As part of the collaboration he created a mural on the Newcastle Quayside. And hoardings with the design on have surrounded the base of Grey's Monument in the city centre.

    Athlete Eilish McColgan has long blonde hair and is wearing a light grey top on top of a white T-shirt and dark grey leggings. She is smiling at the camera. Behind her are red hoardings with the words AJ Bell great north run in white. It also shows the design of the Great North Run medals which is a circle with two running heart characters at either side - red hearts with one big eye and white arms and legs above a stylised image of the Tyne Bridge.North News

  2. Andy Burnham raising money for homelessness charity

    The prime minister is raising money for North East charity Changing Lives, which he visited last month to launch a national drive to end rough sleeping.

    Andy Burnham donated 15% of his first month’s salary in the role to Changing Lives, after promising to give a share of his wages to charity each month.

    Stephen Bell, Changing Lives chief executive, said: “When he visited our service in Newcastle, he heard directly from people about their experiences of homelessness and the support that has helped them move forward."

    Andy Burnham running - he is wearing a pink and purple top and has a look of concentration of his face.PA Media

    Burnham said: “I’ve been doing a bit of training, as people might have seen, even in the newspapers.

    “But the dodgy running shorts have definitely been left at home in Manchester.

    “I couldn’t offend all of the great people of the North East.

    “So they’re at home and I bought some new ones.”

  3. First time runner aims to beat grandad's time

    One runner is taking partfor the first time after being inspired by his grandad who ran the event 27 times in a row.

    Dan Turnbull, from South Shields, is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Mel Turnbull, 82, who competed in the first event in 1981.

    The 25-year-old said: "It was my turn, my grandad and my dad have run it before, I surf and I did run in school but not distance, I started to train and I really didn't want to like running but I love it."

    Dan Turnbull is standing on South Shields beach. He has ginger hair which has been tied up, he is wearing spectacles with a black rim, with several ear ring. He is also wearing a navy and orange vest in support of the MS Society

    His participation has also started a friendly, family rivalry and said if he beat his grandad's best time of 90 minutes he would be "over the moon".

    Mel said: "It's a great event, I'm proud I did 27 in a row, I've kept all my medals even the first one and I did it up till 2014 and that was my last one then - I was pushing 70.

    "I hope Dan can beat my time, he's got longer legs than me but if he does, I'll get my trainers on and see if I can beat him next year."

    Mel Turnbull dressed in a blue checked shirt and navy blue gilet, holds up the medal he won during the first Great North Run in 1981. He is standing in front of a roundabout and there are black railings behind him

  4. 'You're running better than my car'

    Eve Connor
    North East & Cumbria

    At the Tyne Bridge, Devon Woodward, 20, from Billingham, is eagerly waiting for her boyfriend to race past.

    Glenn, also 20, is raising money for Prostate Cancer UK and over the past few months he has raised £500 for the charity.

    Devon said: “The atmosphere is absolutely buzzing. It’s so nice to see the community come together as one for so many good causes.”

    Devon Woodward holding a sign with red letters which sat You're running better than my car! with a picture of a blue car

  5. Zouhair Talbi wins men's Great North Run
    Breaking

    United States runner Zouhair Talbi wins the men's race.

    Zouhair Talbi wins the men's race in the Great North Run

  6. Best friend of PC killed in A66 crash takes his running place

    Pamela Tickell
    BBC News, North East and Cumbria

    Some people have been training for this moment all year, but Daragh Burke only decided to take on the challenge two weeks ago.

    His best friend PC Matthew Blades was one of two Cleveland Police officers who died when their patrol vehicle was hit by a car going the wrong way on the A66 near Middlesbrough last month.

    Daragh is donning his racing number and will carry on Matthew's attempt to raise funds for Parkinson's UK on his behalf.

    The 37-year-old said his friend would be "laughing his head off that I'm doing it" as his starting place was just behind the elite runners.

    "I just wanted to make sure that his vest makes it over the finish line," Daragh said.

    Great North Run said his running number had been officially reallocated and reminded other runners not to place swap as each run number was linked to "important personal information that race organisers may need to access quickly".

    Daragh Burke and Matthew Blades are wearing black bowties and white shirts and are smiling brightly at the camera. Burke, on the left, has short dark hair and a beard. Blades has short brown hair and arm tattoos.Supplied

    Daragh Burke and Matthew Blades were best friends of 30 years

    A young Matthew Blades and Daragh Burke are standing in a youth orchestra while holding string instruments. Blades, on the left, is looking over his shoulder with a baffled expression on his face.Supplied

    PC Blades was "always up for a laugh", his friend said

  7. Brigid Kosgei wins women's race
    Breaking

    Kenya's Brigid Kosgei wins the Great North Run women's race in a time of just over 66 minutes.

    Brigid Kosgei wins women's Great North Run

  8. Supporters with signs encouraging runners

    Eve Connor
    North East & Cumbria

    With the elite athletes on to the next stage of the run, the thousands of others runners are now crossing the Tyne Bridge.

    Words of support and encouragement fill the air.

    Lucy Foster, 39, from Blaydon, is here with her two children, supporting her husband Andrew who is running for the Newcastle United Foundation.

    He decided to run this year's GNR as a challenge before his 40th birthday next weekend.

    Lucy says they are all excited and looking forward to seeing him.

    Lucy Foster with her two children, supporting her husband Andrew. they are with a sign saying Go Dad Go

  9. Red Arrows fly over the start and the finish of the route

    Jim Scott
    BBC North East & Cumbria

    There was a roar, everybody looked up and there they were. The Red Arrows have just done a fly past over the finish line in South Shields.

    The finish line is already packed with hundreds of people who have been here since early morning.

    Thousands of people line the streets of the North East each year to see the runners make their way past.

    Red Arrows flying over the finish line at South Shields

  10. Runners taking part for many different reasons

    Kelly Scott
    BBC Radio Newcastle

    People take part for all kind of different reasons - here is a snapshot of some of them before they set off.

    Runners dressed as nuns wearing black and white habits
    Runners dressed as Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story
    Fundraiser Big Pink Dress
    Fundraisers dressed as ovaries
    A blind runner and a guide

  11. 'The atmosphere's fantastic,' ex-Sunderland boss says

    Pamela Tickell
    BBC News, North East and Cumbria

    Another runner on his way is ex-Sunderland boss Peter Reid, who is taking part for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

    Reid was inspired to fundraise following his daughter's cervical cancer diagnosis, and the death of North East hero and former England captain Kevin Keegan.

    “The atmosphere’s fantastic," he said at the start line.

    Reid added the charity did wonderful work including raising funds to build a £30m cancer-fighting institute.

    “I’m just humbled that I’ve been allowed to do this - at 70 years of age, brilliant."

    Peter Reid has his thumbs up and is smiling at the camera. He is wearing a white shirt and a red racing number. He is in front of a red arch.NNP

  12. David Weir wins men's wheelchair race
    Breaking

    Briton David Weir has won the men's elite wheelchair race in just over 43 minutes

    David Weir wins men's wheelchair race

  13. Amazing atmosphere near the Tyne Bridge

    Eve Connor
    North East & Cumbria

    The atmosphere here at the Tyne Bridge is buzzing as the first of many footsteps begin to pound over it.

    Friends, families and loved ones have turned out in force to encourage this year's runners.

    There are hundreds of signs and posters lining the bridge, with positive messages to encourage runners to push on.

    Runners on the Gateshead side of the Tyne Bridge

  14. Dan Burn says he would love to run

    Robin Davies
    North East & Cumbria

    Newcastle United star Dan Burn is this year's race starter and says he can "feel the energy and excitement".

    His dad is doing it for the "eighth or ninth time".

    He hasn't done it himself, but having seen the atmosphere he says he will.

    "I will do it at some point, I am sure," he says.

    "It's not something that has been on my bucket list to be honest, but now that I have come here and seen what it's about, I would love to do it."

    Dan Burn at the start of the Great North Run. He is wearing a white Adidas shirt with the blue lines on the sleeve. He stands next to a red start bell with the words Ring my Bell and AJ Bell in white lettersNorth News and Pictures

  15. 'Go out, enjoy yourselves and soak up the atmosphere'

    Pamela Tickell
    BBC News, North East and Cumbria

    Among those running is Shildon dad David Beadle, who is returning to the half marathon after losing his "running spirit" when his teenage children took their own lives separately, within the space of a year.

    He is among a team of 40 raising funds for Quinn's Retreat, which offers a free break in static caravans for people who have been similarly bereaved.

    "If people see our runners I'd ask them to give us a big cheer just like they give to all the runners out there," David said.

    He asked Quinn's Retreat runners to "go out, enjoy yourselves along the way and soak up the atmosphere along the route as it's the supporters that make the day as great as it is".

    The charity offered any runners for suicide prevention charity Papyrus to join them in their tent for refreshments at the end after the organisation went into administration earlier this week.

    David Beadle runs around a track on a field. He is wearing black, red and yellow sports gear, with a white bib reading 51. He wears glasses and has short brown hair.Supplied

  16. And they're off
    Breaking

    Here we go - Newcastle United player Dan Burn has fired the start gun and the elite men and main field are off.

    What a sight it is as tens of thousands of runner start pouring down Newcastle's Central Motorway.

  17. Elite wheelchair athletes and women cross Tyne Bridge

    Eve Connor
    North East & Cumbria

    The first of the elite wheelchair and female athletes have crossed the Tyne Bridge.

    Hundreds cheer them on from the sidelines, signs raised and words of encouragement can be heard being shouted from both sides of the bridge.

    These are the first of thousands who will cross this iconic landmark today.

  18. Start line now packed with runners

    Kelly Scott
    BBC Radio Newcastle

    Remember that picture we posted first thing this morning - things are looking very different now as thousands of runners have arrived.

    Here is the view from the bridge which runs between Claremont Road and the Town Moor - absolutely packed with runners.

    Runners at the start of the Great North Run

  19. Watch and listen live

    You can watch live coverage of the run on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer or by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

    BBC Newcastle presenter Kelly Scott is also broadcasting from the start line and you can listen here on BBC Sounds.

  20. 'The North East doesn't always get the attention it deserves'

    Andy Burnham has done the Great North Run before he became prime minister and says it is "the warmth, the atmosphere" he enjoys about it.

    He adds: "It's something about the city, the people, the warmth, the humour, it's just a lovely event."

    He praises run founder Brendan Foster for the "amazing event".

    "The North East doesn't always get the attention it deserves, but this event is the best of British - the Red Arrows, everything," he says.

    "And it's good for the North East to get the spotlight and it's good for the whole country to have its eyes on this wonderful part of the world today."

    Andy Burnham being interviewed on the start line of the Great North Run