Hundreds of runners take part in successful return of South Shields 10 Miler and 10k races against backdrop of Souter Lighthouse and The Leas

More than 300 runners took part in the South Shields 10 Mile and 10k races, organised by Run, Eat, Sleep, which took place last weekend around the idyllic coastal setting of Souter Lighthouse and The Leas.

Runners of all abilities took part, aged from 16 to over-70s.

The event marked the first full return of the runs since 2019, after the pandemic forced cancellation in 2020 and last year was limited and staggered due to restrictions.

The runs proved popular as a warm up for next month’s Great North Run, with runners getting in some extra practice ahead of the half marathon before it returns to South Shields for 2022.

Luke Adams, who founded Run, Eat, Sleep, said: “The runs went really well and it was a very good day.

"The sunny weather came out and everyone had a great time. It was a good team effort from the Run, Eat Sleep, running club and it was all organised by volunteers from within the club who worked hard to put it on and the feedback we got was all positive.

“The atmosphere was really excellent. With the nice weather we had a lot of people come from outside the area to enjoy South Shields and it was all really friendly. It was nice to see everyone back running together after last year had to be staggered.

"There were a lot of Great North Run participants there and it was great to help people get ready for that as well.”

Run, Eat, Sleep, host regular events throughout the year but this is the company’s biggest run and they are hoping it can continue to grow following a difficult few years due to the pandemic.

The group aims to help beginners get into running and build a community sharing the benefits and enjoyment regular running brings.

It was launched in 2011 and since then has developed into a successful fitness business, receiving regional awards for running coaching and running events from England Athletics.

To see results from the weekends runs, visit https://runeatsleep.co.uk/souterweekend/