The 2020 Virtual Great North Run offers last chance to register before deadline

The deadline is approaching for anyone still wanting to sign up a virtual Great North Run Solo event which is one of two running challenges set to raise a whopping half-a-million pounds for a Covid-19 charity.

The online event was announced on the back of the cancellation of this year's half-marathon, due to the coronavirus crisis, and it will be taking place right up to September 13.

That's the day that should have seen the Great North Run celebrate its 40-year anniversary and the challenge - taking place during what would have been the normal training period for the world-famous half-marathon - is to complete 40 runs: one for every year of the event.

And medals await.

Runners, who pay £10 to take part, have just days left to register before the deadline of July 31.

The profits from that and from a second running challenge, Great Run Solo, will go to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Urgent Appeal which helps patients, staff and volunteers affected by the virus.

Great Run Solo, also with a £10 entry charge, was first introduced in May as an idea to keep people active during lockdown and the combined events have had 30,000 entrants to date, with a fund-raising total now standing at more £200,000 and expected to increase to £250,000 in coming weeks.

The Great North Run Solo attracted the bulk of the entries, gaining more than 20,000 in just three weeks, making it what is believed to be the biggest virtual running challenge ever launched by an individual event in the UK.

Both events have been created by the organisers of the Great North Run as part of a campaign to give everyone a chance to commemorate the half-marathon this year despite its cancellation.

The Great North Run Reimagined campaign is also set to announce more plans soon for its main event which will take place on September 13 itself.

This will be the Official Virtual Great North Run, a real-time experience which will be open to all and free to enter. In return participants are being asked to fund-raise, as they would for the real deal, to support their own charities of choice.

Entries to take part in this are set to open on Monday, August 3.

Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, said that the team is thrilled that so many people are keen to enter the solo challenge leading up to the big day.

“We believe it is the biggest virtual running challenge that has been launched by a single event in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic – if not ever," he said.

“We’d urge people to get involved in the virtual challenges and ensure the Great North Run still has a presence in 2020.”

posted Wednesday July 22nd
by Barbara Hodgson