Great North Run 2024: Round-Up

Great North Run 2024

Transcript

00:00I couldn't ask for much more, I mean it's been super busy since I came home and still

00:07on a high.

00:08If you look at the people that's done this before, to be added to that list is special.

00:12I didn't expect to get this opportunity so I'm absolutely pleasant to be here, I've been

00:15following up Eddie Howe, it's nice to be watching for the sidelines for a change so I just get

00:21to cheer everyone on, I get to start the race and I don't have to run 13 miles so it's a

00:26little treat.

00:27So I'm here at the Great North Run and it's a little bit foggy but I still had the chance

00:31to speak to a few of the family and friends of runners who are running for great causes

00:36this year.

00:37We're both from Action for Children and we have around 60 runners taking part in the

00:43Great North Run for us today and that's made up of Action for Children staff, some long

00:48time supporters who've done it for us for a number of years and the rest made up of

00:53people who just want to support this brilliant charity who've never ever done it before.

00:58They're all raising money for us which will go such a long way, means the world to the

01:02children and young people that we help and we've got some of our young people coming

01:07to help cheer us on from one of our North East Children's Homes as well, one of their

01:13staff are running for us today so they're coming to cheer us on later on and we can't

01:16wait to see them.

01:18Well first of all it's a showcase as well for all the charities, you know we're here,

01:24we can show you what we do, tell you what we do, we can try and recruit more volunteers

01:29which we're desperate for and so is every charity, it's not just us and the money that

01:38it brings in through the sponsorship from the runners, we couldn't do it without them,

01:44we couldn't keep our community programmes going or provide hot meals for people, run

01:53social clubs, do events, we couldn't do it without the money that this sort of event

01:59brings in.

02:00The route itself starts off in Newcastle on the Central Motorway, runners head through

02:04Gateshead, through South Tyneside and into South Shields where they're then cheered on

02:09by the crowds who eagerly await them at the finish line.

02:13So, you know, it's just a great day, it's just a fun atmosphere.

02:19It is, actually The Children was founded by a Methodist minister who was from the North

02:24East so we do have, even though it's a national charity, we do have a really good connection

02:28with the North East.

02:29Run social clubs, do events, we couldn't do it without the money that this sort of

02:35event brings in and out of them all, the Great North is the best, absolutely the best.

02:42People are lovely, I love the people of Newcastle, I love the bonds of them, they're always there

02:48to help us, friendly.

02:50And yeah, it's just a really, really good day and hopefully the fog will lift, really,

02:54fingers crossed it lifts, but yeah, we'll have a good time I think.