'wear Sorry!' - Great North Run Organisers Apologise For Medal Mishap

Great North Run organisers person apologised aft medals fixed to participants successful this year's arena featured nan incorrect metropolis and river.

About 60,000 group completed nan 13.1m (21km) half-marathon connected Sunday pinch each of them handed a badge incorporating an image of what was expected to beryllium an aerial position of Newcastle, Gateshead, South Shields and nan River Tyne.

However, acknowledging nan items really showed adjacent Sunderland and nan River Wear which person nary engagement successful nan event, nan Great Run Company admitted it had "made a mistake".

The image's designer, Newcastle-based creator Howard Lee, has been approached for comment.

In a connection organisers said "eagle-eyed" group had spotted nan error, which was besides featured connected merchandise specified arsenic clothing.

They claimed it made it "the astir unsocial t-shirt and badge successful Great North Run history, a keepsake that we'll beryllium talking astir successful 44 years' time".

"Wear sorry!" they said, successful a joking reference to Sunderland's Wearside location.

"To reply nan rumours that this was nan way uncover for adjacent year… sorry to disappoint, it's a mistake.

"Lots of group looked very intimately astatine nan designs and nary of america picked it up.

"We had Newcastle United stars connected nan commencement statement and nan Stadium of Light connected nan medal.

"The Great North Run is genuinely a ceremony of nan region, moreover much truthful than we had planned."

The event's founder, Sir Brendan Foster, said he had "spent ages marvelling" astatine nan designs and "never spotted nan mistake" moreover erstwhile they were displayed successful nan model of metropolis centre section shop Fenwick.

He added: "I've lived connected nan River Tyne my full life and I should've noticed.

"But if I'd tally nan Great North Run yesterday, I'd still beryllium wearing my badge pinch pride.

"Thanks to everyone who took portion successful an astonishing arena yesterday and each nan supporters who came retired to cheer connected nan runners.

"It was a awesome Great North Run, and we're already looking guardant to 2026 aft we've brushed up connected our geography."

Ahead of nan event, creator Mr Howard said he felt "very privileged" to person been progressive pinch this year's medal, which he described arsenic being "quite a striking design".