This year’s Great North Run continues to be the largest half marathon event in the country and was a huge success this year with over 40,000 taking part in the race on Sunday. In addition on Saturday the Great North Citygames – a free athletics event – took place. The two events form a weekend of sporting action in the North East.
Complimenting the activities was the Great North Run Pasta Party held on the Saturday and offering free pasta to all runners involved in the events including BUPA Mini and Junior events which took place on the Saturday in advance of the Great North Run on Sunday.
The ECB Cricket Factory rig was based alongside the Great North Citygames site between the Gateshead Baltic and the Sage Centre. These iconic buildings were the perfect backdrop for the athletic heroes from London 2012 including Mo Farah who was taking part in the city games and Tanni Grey Thompson, former Paralympic champion who was handing out water to the runners during the race on Sunday.
Mo Farah was also part of a group of five champions – long jumper Greg Rutherford, paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, boxer Nicola Adams and rower Kat Copeland from London 2012 who started the race.
Our rig was part of a number of “come and try it” activities based on the Gateshead quayside for the weekend including horse riding with “Queenie” a unique mechanical horse, a golf swing trial and pole-vaulting. We had great fun with the families and relatives of those taking part in the mini, junior and great north run itself. One particularly competitive dad even tweeted afterwards about his inability to let his 3 year old beat him on our rig!
