12th Great North Weekend in a row, 11th in a row doing the full GNR (did the 5k the first year in 2015), 10th doing it in person (because 2020 was virtual), 9th doing the traditional route all the way to South Shields (because 2021 was an out-and-back). It’s overpriced, not a PB course and often a bit of a miserable run in the blazing sunshine along the open dual carriageway with not much interesting to see for quite a long time… but it’s always a party for us round here, and so I’ll almost certainly keep doing it.
This year, we were remembering Ed. It was the 45th GNR and should also have been his 45th GNR. We all wore Ed bibs on our backs (organised by Ed’s friend Pierre from Sheffield) to celebrate him.
I would have liked another sub-2 to go along with my Toronto result in May, but I realised from about two or three miles in that it wasn’t going to happen on this occasion. It was too hot and my body wasn’t feeling right at all (and hadn’t done all week). I just focused on trying to stay steady and getting another one ticked off.
While it was a tough one for me, I have done much, much tougher GNRs in the past. I first ‘ran’ the full thing 10 years ago and I have come a long, long way since then, even if there have been a few backwards steps in the last couple of years.
I do love the whole of GNR weekend (Friday morning social shakeout with the Benchies, volunteering at Jesmond Dene parkrun on the Saturday morning to help manage all the ‘J’ tourists, the atmosphere of GNR day itself) but my absolute favourite part is meeting up at the bench on Monday evening for the annual class photo! We miss you so much Ed.
Same time again next year, probably!