Britain's largerst road race and one of the world's most competitive half-marathons, the BUPA Great North Run, will be held earlier than usual next year, race organizers announced today. The race, which is also the world's largest half-marathon, takes place in Newcastle, England.
Typically held the last weekend in September, or the first weekend in October, the two-day race festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20 in 2009. Nova International, the management firm which organizes the race, said the move was necessitated by "the international athletics calendar and television schedules" in a press release circulated to the media. The event holds childrens' runs, a road mile, a two-mile or 3 km, and several sprint races on Saturday as a curtain-raiser to Sunday's massive half-marathon which recorded 36,669 finishers in 2008.
Like the ING New York City Marathon, the BUPA Great North Run accepts 52,000 runners through a lottery process out of over 100,000 who apply. The race, which has been held since 1981, recorded its one millionth entry this year.
The 2008 race champions were Olympic bronze medalist Tsegay Kebede of Ethiopia (59:45) and three-time Olympic medalist Gete Wami of Ethiopia (1:08:51).
PHOTO: Start of the BUPA Great North Run (photo courtesy Nova International)
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