“The people make it work”: Sir Brendan Foster previews 2025 Great North Run

Founder of the Great North Run Sir Brendan Foster previewed this year’s event by paying tribute to those taking part in it. Daniel Wales reports.

Transcript

00:0043 years since its inception in 1981, Great North Run founder Sir Brendan Foster

00:06previewed this year's event by paying tribute to those involved in it.

00:11It's not our event, we organise it, but we aren't the actors. The actors are getting ready, they're

00:17pinning their numbers on, they're turning up on Sunday morning, they're coming on the stage,

00:21they're acting it out. They're good actors by the way, they do a brilliant job and they're

00:26different. So they get involved in the atmosphere, the atmosphere makes it,

00:30the people who come make it, the spectators on the roadside make it, the region welcomes people,

00:36that makes it. So if you want to analyse it, we organise it, but the people make it work.

00:43You're now talking about 60,000, which is massive and unobtainable and unimaginable, but

00:50it's still there, it's 43 years, it's getting stronger, it's getting more varied.