Prime Minister completes Great North Run in 1 hour 57 minutes
Andy Burnham became the first serving PM to run the Great North Run, finishing in 1 hour 57 minutes for the homelessness charity Changing Lives.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Thousands of runners took part in the 45th Great North Run on Sunday, with the Prime Minister Andy Burnham among them. More than 60,000 people lined up in Newcastle and made their way to the finish line in South Shields, in what organisers described as the biggest half marathon in the world.
Mr Burnham, running for the homelessness charity Changing Lives, was the first serving prime minister to take part in the event. He finished in a respectable one hour and 57 minutes, having joined North East Mayor Kim McGuinness on the start line. In an interview before the race, he used the occasion to make a political point, saying the country had not always backed the North East as it should. 'I'm sending that message today by being here,' he said. 'This region has got so much more to give.'
The event, which began as a fun run 45 years ago, has grown into a global phenomenon. Over the years, 1.4 million people have taken part and runners have raised more than £450 million for charity. This year's run was described as the biggest yet, with more than 700 charities supported by participants.
Among the other notable runners were TV presenter Ben Shephard and former footballer Chris Kamara, who raised money for Prostate Cancer UK. The Red Arrows performed their traditional flypast as the elite athletes set off. In the women's race, Olympic medallist Bridgette Karsgay won in just over an hour and six minutes, while American Zouair Talbi crossed the line in under an hour. Britain's David Weir won his 10th Great North Run wheelchair title, finishing in just over 43 minutes.
For many participants, the event was not about times but about personal stories and fundraising. Organisers said the atmosphere along the course was electric, with huge crowds turning out to cheer the runners on. The Great North Run has become a highlight of the North East's sporting calendar, and this year's edition proved once again why it holds such a special place in the region's heart.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Burnham is the first prime minister to take part in the Great North Run. | · | ||
| More than 60,000 people took part in the Great North Run. | · | ||
| The Great North Run is the biggest half marathon in the world. | · | ||
| The Great North Run starts in Newcastle and finishes in South Shields. | · | ||
| 1.4 million people have taken part in the Great North Run over the years. | · | · | |
| Andy Burnham ran for the homelessness charity Changing Lives. | · | · | |
| Burnham finished the race in one hour and 57 minutes. | · | · | |
| Burnham has previously won the Great North Run twice, with times under two hours. | · | · | |
| David Weir won his 10th Great North Run wheelchair title. | · | · | |
| Runners have raised more than £450 million across the event's history. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This short live report focused on the Prime Minister's participation, noting he was the first PM to run the race and that he was running for the homelessness charity Changing Lives. It also highlighted that despite injury, the expected elite female winner pulled out, and mentioned the scale of participants and fundraising.
- “Andy Burnham is the first prime minister to take part in the Great North Run and he's running today in a charity bib, a bib for the homelessness charity Changing Lives.”
- “Most people running today are going to get their best.”
This longer package gave full coverage of the Prime Minister's run, including his finishing time, his political comments about backing the North East, and the charity angle. It also placed the event in its 45-year history, noting it has raised over £450 million and is the biggest half marathon in the world.
- “I think it's the first person to ever run the Great North Run and the country at the same time, so I think that's quite an amazing feat.”
- “The Prime Minister finished in a respectable one hour, 57 minutes. He was running for homeless charity Changing Lives.”
This was a very brief bulletin item, simply stating that more than 60,000 people took part, including the Prime Minister, and noting the route from Newcastle to South Shields. It gave no further detail, likely due to time constraints, and moved quickly to other stories.
- “More than 60,000 people took part in the Great North Run, including the Prime Minister Andy Burnham.”
This report gave a wider view of the event, including the Red Arrows flypast, the elite winners in both the women's and wheelchair races, and the participation of celebrities like Ben Shephard and Chris Kamara. It also highlighted the emotional side of the run and the charitable causes, as well as the Prime Minister's historic participation.
- “It's just a brilliant occasion. Today, particularly, so many people out there, such positivity. You see the causes people are running for, but we're all pulling together for the bigger cause.”
- “In the elite waves, Olympic medallist Bridgette Karsgay won the women's race in just over an hour and six minutes, while American Zouair Talbi crossed the line in under an hour.”
Broadcast Timeline
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