Athletics-Wear Sorry!: Great North Run organisers apologise for medal mishap

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(Refiles fixing typo in headline)

(Reuters) – Organisers of the Great North Run have issued a cheerful apology after eagle-eyed runners spotted a geographical hiccup on this year’s finisher t-shirts and medals.

Instead of the iconic curve of the River Tyne — the heart of the Great North Run route which flows through the city of Newcastle — the design featured the outline of the River Wear, which flows through neighbouring Sunderland. Cue the collective double-take.

“Wear sorry!” race organisers said in a lighthearted apology on Facebook on Monday. “To answer the rumours that this was the route reveal for next year… sorry to disappoint, it’s a mistake.

“For the 60,000 who ran (on Sunday), you’ve got the most unique t-shirt & medal in Great North Run history, a keepsake that we’ll be talking about in 44 years’ time.” 

Despite multiple rounds of review, the mix-up slipped through the cracks. Even Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run and lifelong Tyne resident, admitted he didn’t spot it.

“I loved the designs,” Foster said. “Spent ages marvelling at them and never spotted the mistake. I’ve lived on the River Tyne my whole life and I should’ve noticed – but if I’d run (on Sunday), I’d still be wearing my medal with pride.

“It was a fantastic Great North Run, and we’re already looking forward to 2026, after we’ve brushed up on our geography.”

The medal and T-shirt also featured the Stadium of Light, home to Premier League club Sunderland.

Some 60,000 runners took part in Sunday’s 13.1-mile race which begins in Newcastle and winds through Gateshead and South Tyneside before finishing in South Shields. 

Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui claimed victory in the women’s race, with Vivian Cheruiyot crossing second and Britain’s Eilish McColgan, third.

Kenya’s Alex Mutiso was the men’s winner ahead of Belgium’s Bashir Abdi who took second, while Abel Kipchumba of Kenya was third. (This story has been refiled to fix a typo in the headline)

(Reporting by Lori Ewing in Manchester; Editing by Christian Radnedge)