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Run was another record-breaker
IT was yet another record-breaking Great North Run yesterday, with 54,000 people taking part in the world's biggest half-marathon.
Musician Sting and Ashes-winning England cricketer Steve Harmison sounded the starting gun for this year's race, setting record numbers of people on their way to South Shields.
The first celebrity to finish cross the finish line on the seafront was Olympic rower James Cracknell, followed by other famous entrants including chef Gordon Ramsay, former Downing Street spin doctor Alistair Campbell, EastEnders actor Joe Swash, and Hull City manager Phil Brown.
Elvis impersonator John Moss, from Blyth, swapped his blue suede shoes for trainers to tackle the race for an Alzheimer's charity.
The 37-year-old said: "It's such a warm day and I felt as though I was doing pretty well up until the eight-mile mark, when I just hit a wall.
"I had a little walk at the 11-mile mark but came in running for the finish."
Things were looking rosy for 17-year-old John Ward, from Stanley, who dyed his hair, eyebrows, beard, and moustache pink, in aid of Breast Cancer Care.
He said: "I had to make sure I bought a dye which wasn't going to run as soon as I started sweating.
"This is my first run and I'll definitely be back. The atmosphere was incredible."
The most unusual costumes of the day were worn by Rob Jowers and Johnny Cope.
The pair, from Middlesbrough and Sunderland respectively, ran in all-in-one coloured body suits.
Rob, 21, said: "We've had a few funny looks and it's got a bit warm under this outfit."
Johnny, 24, added: "It was all for charity, though, and the costumes made a few people chuckle along the route."
John McEwan, 44, from Dumbarton in Scotland, was relying on rocket-power to get him to the finish line.
He dressed up as Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear for his eighth run, and was raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
He said: "I was really hot this year with the Buzz costume on, but I was dressed as a cow last year, so it could have been worse!"
Gary Norris, from Newbiggin, was given a helping hand during the race – with almost 100 helium-filled balloons strapped to his back.
The 43-year-old, who was running to raise money for St Oswald's Hospice in Gosforth, said he'd been lighter on his feet because of the balloons.
"The balloons made quite a difference during the run, I felt much lighter than usual.
"I heard a few of the balloons getting burst as people ran past me, but I made it across the finish line with most of them intact."
Two of the 54,000 entrants in the run took part to boost NewcastleGateshead's bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
Wearing the numbers 2018 and 2022, Mark Jackson and Iona Sims, from the World Cup bid team at the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, joined the thousands of people running for charity at this year's event.
The pair, dressed in Back the Bid T-shirts, were raising awareness of Tyneside's bid to be a World Cup host city.
Kenya's Martin Lel won the elite men's race for the second time in his career, while Portugal's Jessica Augusto won in the elite women's event.
Britain's David Weir broke the men's wheelchair course record by more than a minute, while American Amanda McGrory won the women's wheelchair title.
Sir Bobby Robson's son, Mark, who ran to raise funds for his late father's cancer foundation, said: "He was the honorary starter for the race twice and I always remember him saying that his hand nearly fell off because he shook so many hands. He loved doing it and it is a great event".
The first Great North Run took place in June 1981 with 12,770 runners.
* Send us your Great North Run pictures to gazette.news@northeast-press.co.uk.
* Did you take part in the run? If so, tell us your story on e-mail: gazette.news@northeast-press.co.uk, tel: 0191 4284858, or write to us at The Shields Gazette, Chapter Row, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 1BL.
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
