Finisher's t-shirt and medal revealed for 2022 Great North Run as Sir Brendan Foster says event is 'coming home' to South Shields

The design of the t-shirt tells the story of the Great North Run through its history and pays homage to a number of things including the Red Arrows, Tyne Bridge and even the shouts of ‘oggy, oggy, oggy!’

This year’s Great North Run will be the 41st event and the half marathon will be returning to finish in South Shields following a three year absence due to the pandemic.

GNR founder Sir Brendan Foster, who was on hand to unveil the designs, hailed the return to South Shields, proclaiming: “The Great North Run is coming home again.”

He said: “Today is the 41st birthday of the Great North Run. Back in 1981 we held the event for the first time and people didn’t know what was going to happen and basically we now know what happened because 41 years later we’re here bringing an event which is going to start in Newcastle, as it did on the first occasion and finish in South Shields.

“The Great North Run is coming home again! We haven’t been there for three years now because of Covid and restrictions that were placed on us last year so we’re back in business and looking forward to a day at the seaside, a proper South Shields welcome and the 41st Great North Run.

Local artist James Dixon, of Lines Behind, who came up with the designs for the t-shirt and medal, said: “When the message came through asking me to do it I thought it was a wind up!

"For me the Great North Run is the pinnacle of the North East. People travel all over and it’s going to be a very celebratory event with it being back in South Shields. I ran the Newcastle route last year but everyone wants to be back at the beach and I’m super excited.

“I love seeing people going into the pubs and restaurants or on their journey home, with their medals too, it’s massive for me that this year, that medal will be my work.”

This year’s run takes place on Sunday, September 11.