Great North Run history | Alumni and Supporters

The origins of the Great North Run

Former long-distance Olympian runner and BBC Sport commentator, Sir Brendan Foster, is the mastermind behind the iconic race. Having taken part in the Round the Bays Race in 1979, a city to coastal route in New Zealand, Brendan envisioned bringing a similar experience to the North East.

On 28 June 1981, his vision became a reality when 12,264 people joined the start line for the first-ever Great North Run (pictured, courtesy of Newcastle Libraries). Amongst them was alumnus Rob Bramley, who commented:

“As a Newcastle undergraduate at the time, I ran in that first ever Great North Run - in strong winds which slowed it a bit.”