Great North Run organisers apologise after "unique" 2025 medal mistake
The team behind the Great North Run have apologised after the 2025 edition of the race included a map of Sunderland rather than Tyneside.
The medal was awarded to all 60,000 participants of the half marathon, which starts in Newcastle and continues through Gateshead before finishing in South Shields.
The front of the design depicts the Tyne Bridge, an iconic part of the 13.1 mile ‘city to sea’ route.
However, the back shows a street map of Sunderland, labelled Newcastle, South Tyneside and Gateshead.
Parts of Wearside including the Stadium of Light can be seen in the design.
The race’s blue finisher T-shirt also has the shape of the River Wear at the core of its design.
On Monday morning race organisers issued a statement after the design mistake was picked up across social media by runners.
The statement says: “Wear sorry!
“As the eagle-eyed have already spotted, the shape of the river on this year’s finisher t-shirt and medal is indeed the River Wear.
“To answer the rumours that this was the route reveal for next year… sorry to disappoint, it’s a mistake. Lots of people looked very closely at the designs and none of us picked it up.
“We had Newcastle United stars on the start line and the Stadium of Light on the medal. The Great North Run is truly a celebration of the region, even more so than we had planned.
“For the 60,000 who ran yesterday, you’ve got the most unique t-shirt and medal in Great North Run history, a keepsake that we’ll be talking about in 44 years’ time.
Sir Brendan Foster added: “I loved the designs for the medal and t-shirt, spent ages marvelling at them, and never spotted the mistake, even when we hung it in Fenwicks window.
“I’ve lived on the River Tyne my whole life and I should’ve noticed, but if I’d run the Great North Run yesterday, I’d still be wearing my medal with pride.
“Thanks to everyone who took part in an amazing event yesterday, and all the supporters who came out to cheer on the runners. It was a fantastic Great North Run, and we’re already looking forward to 2026, after we’ve brushed up on our geography!”
The statement also says artist Howard Lee, who was part of the medal announcement earlier this summer, was not the designer of the medal. “He helped us reveal the medal with his unique art video created based on a design provided to him by the Great Run Company.”