GREAT NORTH RUNNERS

Today should have been the 40th running of The Great North Run but obviously due to Covid 19 the event did not take place. 60,000 runners were due to take part but a virtual event took place instead with around 17,000 participants.

Musical link - Mark Knopfler Local Hero, Great North Run 2020

My late husband Douglas took part in the GNR quite a few times and Becky and Neil started off with the Junior event and both have also done the main run.  I fished out some photos which bring back memories of the day.  The photo of Douglas was taken on 30th June 1985 - it was the first time he had taken part. ( In the early days the event took place in June but they moved it to September so that conditions had a chance of being cooler ) The photos of Becky and Neil were taken on 18th September 1993 - Junior Great North Run.

Neil, Becky and Mike had not had signed up for this years GNR but of course all 3 have been running today as usual.

Neil started his running day just after at midnight --- in Corbridge.  A friend from his running club was doing a coast to coast run/walk from Carlisle to Newcastle ( following the path of Hadrians Wall )  a distance of 100 miles and Neil joined him at Corbridge to help him along for the last part of his journey to Newcastle Quayside. This part of the route was around 21½ miles and it took them around 6 hours to reach Newcastle. I guess it was slow going as his friend had been on the move since 7am on Saturday morning. Then Neil jogged home - another 2 miles.  And this afternoon  he was off running again - 5 ½ miles.  ( He has a weekly target of 62 miles ( 100km ) and he needed to reach that today.) Neil has just messaged to say he is " shattered " and is having an early night.  No surprise there.

My day has been rather less energetic,  In fact I have been positively lazy.  Hardly done anything.  But its been OK.  Hopefully I will stir myself tomorrow.

Steps today - a paltry 1,962

CORONA CLASSIC - La Conga del Fuego Nuevo by Arturo Márquez