It was a Great North Run which started unike any other. In place of the usual blaring upbeat music and noisy chatter, the lead-up to North East's famous half-marathon began on a muted note with a minute's silence followed by the National Anthem.
The mass of runners gathered on Newcastle's Central Motorway beneath a giant black banner showing the late Queen and listened to words of tribute ahead of start of the 41st run which this year saw the traditional South Shields finish line reinstated after last year's change.
Last year, the 13.1-mile route was changed to be city-focused to ensure more social-distancing due to Covid concerns. Organisers had been looking forward to a return to normal for this Sunday's run but then came the Queen' s death on Thursday. They cancelled Saturday's lead-up events but, after debate, decided to go ahead with the Great North Run with changes made to the start to show their respects.
