A new film will be made about The Great North Run to celebrate 40th birthday of the event

A new film is to be made about The Great North Run. It'll be released next year to celebrate the event's 40th birthday.

The Great North Run Foundation has been awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £250,000 to make the film which will tell the story of the event through the voices of the people that have made the Great North Run great.

As well as the runners, volunteers and local spectators that support them along the way, the project will feature; the bands that play along the route, the small charities that wouldn’t exist without funds raised, the Scout group that gives out the water bottles, the first aiders that provide comfort and care and many, many more.

Horrible Histories author Terry Deary will narrate the film.

Just 12,000 runners took on the first ever Great North Run on the 28th June 1981. Founded by North East Olympian, Brendan Foster, and a small group of friends, they had no idea what the event would eventually come to be.

Now it's the world’s biggest Half Marathon with 57,000 people of all ages and abilities sign up every year to take on the 13.1 mile challenge from Newcastle to South Shields.

“When we first started out, we could never have imagined where this journey would take us. 40 years is a very special milestone and we can’t wait to celebrate with our runners, incredible volunteers, first rate spectators and the rest of the region.

“We know so many people have brilliant memories of the event. Wherever I go, people stop me to tell me about their own Great North Run experiences and what it means to them.

“We want to create a record of the impact of the race on people’s lives, and explore the heritage of the race in the context of the changing social, cultural and industrial landscape of the region.

“It will be a privilege to capture some of these memories forever in this film and share them with the next generation.”

The film will be broadcast nationally in 2020 and those making it are looking for YOUR stories as well as your footage and pictures.

posted Saturday August 31st