The Great North Run is one of the iconic running events in the UK and a must-do run for many athletes. Runners and non-runners alike are glued to the television on a Sunday morning each September as the strains of Mark Knopfler’s “Local Hero” theme give way to the sight of tens of thousands of runners tackling the 13.1 mile half marathon course from Newcastle to South Shields. Viewers and spectators look out for family members, friends and clubmates beneath the red, white and blue vapour trails of the Red Arrows soaring above the Tyne Bridge. This year almost 60000 runners had the added claim to fame of racing against Sir Mo Farah in his final professional race. North Down AC was well represented with 5 club members making the trip to the north east, and the slightly longer trip home as torrential downpours accompanied by thunder and lightning caused flash floods in the Tyne & Wear Metro Stations close to the finish line! Mitchell Brown was first to finish in 1:41:53 with Elaine McDonnell next finisher with a perfectly executed sub 2:10 finish in 2:09:59. Cliff and Noreen McCausland were next to reach the flooded finish area in 2:19:51 and 2:38:00 and Glenn Frazer completed club involvement in 2:40:01.
[photo: Noreen & Cliff McCausland]
