News

Countdown to the Bupa Great North Run – the world’s biggest half marathon - 17/09/09

Welcome to the special Bupa Great North Run edition of Great News – the official e-newsletter of the 2009 Great Australian Run, which will deliver all the information you require about this unique event.

Countdown to the Bupa Great North Run – the world’s biggest half marathon

This weekend a record 54,000 participants and more than 150,000 spectators will take over Newcastle-Gateshead in the UK for the world’s biggest half-marathon - the 2009 Bupa Great North Run.

Australia has a strong connection with the Great North Run with Steve Moneghetti, Rob de Castella, Lisa Martin and Benita Johnson all tasting success over the years and in 2009 the event will once again play host to a world-class field.

The event is such an icon in the UK that music legend Sting will be making a rare appearance, and in conjunction with cricketer Steve Harmison, who was part of the England Ashes cricket winning team, will be the honorary starters for the 29th staging of Britain’s biggest mass participation sporting event.

The Great North Run heads up the prestigious global Great Run series of which the Great Australian Run is now an integral part, with other international Great Run events staged in Ireland, Ethiopia and Zambia as well as throughout the UK.

Enter NOW to win a trip to the UK

Next year the Great North Run will celebrate its 30th birthday and we are offering a unique opportunity for two lucky Great Australian Run participants.

All those who enter the Great Australian Run by Friday 23rd October will go into the draw to win two entries, including return flights from Australia to Newcastle, to participate in the 30th Great North Run.

Join the global craze that is the Great Run series. Have you and your friends entered yet? Visit www.greataustralianrun.com.au to secure your place on the start line now.

Running around the world

English couple Terry and Joyce Croucher just can’t get enough of the Great Run series.

The husband and wife team from Fairfield in the UK will be taking on the tripleheader – the Great North Run this weekend, the Great South Run in Portsmouth in October before making their inaugural trip to Melbourne for the Great Australian Run in November.

“We are a couple of 60 something year olds who are just trying to stay as fit and healthy as possible in our retirement years.

“We started running - well more jogging and walking really - just over a year ago. Our son was bitten by the running bug and it was during our visits to events in support of him that we discovered the friendliness and supportiveness of almost everyone in the sport irrespective of ones own ability or performance levels.

“I think it was this atmosphere along with the discovery that events come in all shapes and sizes that caused us to try and give it a go.

“As far as I’m concerned the ‘Great Runs’ are fantastic. The opportunity to participate along with tens of thousands of others at the same time is quite simply an awesome experience.

“And it’s not every day that you’re able to say that you have started on the same grid line as Michael Schumacher or Jenson Button. It doesn’t get much better than that does it?

“We had already booked our first ever holiday to Australia when we discovered that the Great Australian Run was being held on a day when we were staying in Melbourne. Clearly this was going to be the opportunity of a lifetime for us and one that we couldn’t resist!”

Birmingham and Willis return to the streets of Melbourne

Joining the Crouchers in Newcastle and Melbourne will be two of Australia’s leading distance runners – 2004 world cross country champion Benita Willis and Australian 10,000m record holder Collis Birmingham.

Willis (two miles) and Birmingham (one mile) will join a 26-strong Australian athletics team for the inaugural Great North City Games to be staged on the eve of the Great North Run.

After having the Ashes snatched away, pride will be on the line when Australia takes on arch-rival England in their first ever head-to-head street athletics match.

Taking the sport out of the traditional stadium format, an athletics track (shot put, 150m track, pole vault, one/two miles, long jump) will be set up in the Millennium bridge precinct, bringing the sport of athletics to a whole new audience.

It will be a busy weekend for Willis who will also contest the half marathon the very next day against a strong elite field which includes former world 10,000m and half marathon champion Berhane Adhere of Ethiopia.

Have you got an interesting story to tell?

Whether you’re walking, jogging or racing the Great Australian Run, if you’ve got an interesting story to tell, we’d love to hear it. Maybe you’ve bounced back from adversity, organised your work colleagues to run for a worthy cause or maybe you and your mates are planning on wearing a quirky costume on the day.

The media team at the Great Australian Run would love to hear your inspirational or interesting story - email details to media@greataustralianrun.com.au

Follow the Great Australian Run on Facebook and Twitter

The Great Australian Run has jumped on Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re a member of Facebook, make sure you add GreatAustralian Run as one of your friends. Join hundreds of other likeminded runners and walkers who will be joining you on the start line on race day – a great opportunity to discuss training, race tips, nutrition, clothing etc

You can also now follow us on Twitter – follow what the elite athletes are getting up to in race week, access the very latest news and much, much more.

adidas training runs

In conjunction with the Great Australian Run and adidas, the Crosbie Crew are pleased to be organising a 12 week training run series leading up to the 15km Great Australian Run on Sunday 29th November.

You can join us for a graduated series of training runs aimed at getting you fit, fired up and motivated to tackle Australia's best 15km event. All runs will be supervised by experienced run leaders who will guide your pace, answer any questions and make sure you are well prepared to take part in the Great Australian Run.

When & where to meet: Please be at Gate D of the Botanical Gardens (near the corner of Domain Rd & Anderson St) by 8:50am each Saturday morning for a 9:00am start. Go here for more info

Big brand support

The Great Australian Run are pleased to announce that a number of exciting brands have come on board this year’s event.

Cool Ridge are the official water supplier

Gatorade are the official sports drink

Virgin Active are the official gym partner/em>