Get set, ready, go! Great North Run weekend begins
Saturday kicks off with Mini and Junior events, followed by the half marathon on Sunday.
The Great North Run, the world's largest half marathon, kicks off this weekend on Tyneside. A total of 63,000 runners are expected to participate in Sunday's 13.1-mile (21km) race. The event began on Saturday with the Mini and Junior events, which have been running for 40 years and saw 13,000 young participants. Courses ranged from 50m (164ft) to a challenging 4km (2.5 miles).
Notable figures, such as former footballer Chris Kamara and singer Joe McElderry, are among the famous faces expected to take part. The Red Arrows are scheduled to perform a flypast over the city at 10:50 BST. Over £25 million is raised for charity annually, with 1.4 million people having completed the race since its inception. This year's medal design features the Tyne Bridge, created by local artist Alex Mulholland, known as Mul.
The event started with the Mini and Junior races on Newcastle's Quayside, with several roads closed across the weekend.
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