Mini and Junior Great North Run events set to be biggest yet with more than 9,000 youngsters taking part

The 2022 Mini and Junior Great North Run events are set to be the biggest ever with over 9,000 youngsters set to take part.
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The event, on Saturday September 10, one day before the adult Great North Run, will see 9,250 young people aged between 3-15 take on a 1.5k and 4k routes respectively.

The events take young runners along the Quayside at Newcastle and Gateshead, with Mini entrants, aged between 3-8 years, crossing the River Tyne over the Swing Bridge before passing landmarks including the Sage Gateshead and the Baltic.

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Junior entrants, aged between 9-15 years, will take on a 4k run around a similar route, taking in the sights of the Quayside.

The junior Great North Run in 2021The junior Great North Run in 2021
The junior Great North Run in 2021

Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company says, “We are so pleased by the incredible support we’ve seen for the Junior and Mini Great North Run this year.

“The Great North Run celebrated its 40th year in 2021, but this year we’re very much focused on the first steps towards the 50th and that starts with the young people we’ll see on the Quayside in September.

“We know these events can inspire a lifelong love of running and staying active and we hope that we will be able to support and celebrate these young people and their families for years to come.”

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The event will include a jam-packed charity and entertainment village with food and refreshment stands and plenty of kids activities, ranging from bitesize bootcamp sessions to rugby and basketball.

It will also see the debut of the brand new Great Run Company mascot, Tyney the Tortoise, who will be out and about supporting and cheering on kids at the start line and throughout the race.

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.

A number of events will be held across the weekend, including the Great North 5k, on Friday September 9, the mini and junior runs on Saturday September 10 and finishing with the main 13.1 mile half marathon on Sunday, September 11.

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