Great North Run death: Participant dies at event
Organisers are working to inform the runner's next of kin
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A runner taking part in the Great North Run has died at the event, organisers have confirmed.
The organisers of the event, attended by tens of thousands of runners, confirmed the incident but did not name the person.
A spokesman for the organisers said: “Very sad to advise that a participant died at the Great North Run today.”
“The Great Run Company deeply regrets the loss of life of a participant at the Great North Run today and offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of the individual.
The spokesman added that the organisation's priority was to inform the next of kin of the person who died, and said it would not be able to offer any further updates on Sunday.
An estimated 57,000 people took part in the 13.1miles half marathon which starts in Newcastle, spans over the Tyne Bridge, through Gastehead and onto the coast at South Shields.
Olympic champion Mo Farah was among the athletes to take part in the event, which is also attended by amateurs, and won the men's event for a second year in a row.
Kenyan athlete Mary Keitany meanwhile won the women's race, and David Weir won the elite wheelchair competition for the sixth time.
Professor Brian Cox, Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell, TV presenter Steph McGovern and former footballer Kevin Kilbane were among the high-profile figures to take part in the run.
Around £25million is expected to have been raised by fundraisers attending the event.
Additional reporting by PA
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments