Following the very sad news of the passing of our dear Queen Elizabeth 11 the organisers at Great Run HQ cancelled several events made an announcement on Saturday morning that the GNR half marathon would go ahead declaring that “The event has traditionally been a celebration of the extraordinary achievements of ordinary people, this year it will be an opportunity for us to come together and express our condolences, while celebrating the life of our extraordinary Queen“. The thousands of runners who took part are expected to have raised an estimated £25 million pounds in much needed charitable donations, a truly fitting tribute to the Queen who lived her life in the service of our country and its people.
Several Eccleshill Road Runners took part in a slightly subdued event, some of them raising vital funds for various charities. They joined approximately 60,000 other runners on the start line making for an even busier event this year but no doubt a very memorable one for various reasons. The morning started off overcast and cool, perfect for running if it had stayed that way! Around the start time for many runners (some having to wait for hours to cross the start line), the sun made an appearance and continued to beat down making for challenging conditions. Many runners welcomed the return to the usual course where the crowds of supporters from Newcastle to South Shields were out in force and helped to keep runners comfortable with drinks, ice pops and anything they could provide, as many who have taken part know the support along the route is second to none and this year they were out in vast numbers, reportedly even more so than usual. Eccleshill’s heroes of the North were Daniel Jenkins (01:36:17) Mike Farrell (02:10:54) Stuart Wagstaff (02:24:51) Gillian Jago (01:55:58) Barbara Stow (02:46:46) Emma Haigh (02:26:57) Garry Ellison (02:53:43) Martin Steele (02:54:44) Charlotte Jackson (TBC) A huge thank you to all the support crew who made the pilgrimage to the North East and braved the masses to cheer our runners over the finish line. Fantastic running all well done!
