Great Run Series Targets Biggest Event Ever

Olympic medallist and Great Run Series founder Brendan Foster and Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, have unveiled their aim to create the UK’s biggest mass participation running event.

The Great North Run is currently the biggest annual running event in Britain with 57,000 participants, while the London Marathon and Great Manchester Run have approximately 40,000 runners taking part.

Nova International chairman Brendan Foster explained: “We’re working in partnership with Newham to make the Morrisons Great Newham London Run, the biggest running event in Britain. Our aim is to build to 60,000 people taking part every year within five years.”

“It took us 30 years to reach 50,000 participants at the Great North Run. We are now aiming to create Britain’s biggest annual running event. It will be spectacular to see 60,000 people running around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and crossing the line in the Stadium.

“I hope the British public will be as excited as I am about this event, which is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for runners, spectators and all the family. I hope to see thousands of old faces and lots of new ones taking part on the 19th July, and in the future as this event continues to grow.”

The pair were joined by Lord Coe, athlete Jo Pavey and representatives from Morrisons at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to reveal details of the 2015 Morrisons Great Newham London Run.

The run is due to be staged over 10K and will be the first event to take place in the former Olympic Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, since the transformation work began. There will also be a 2K family run which is open to runners of all abilities aged 5 years and upwards.

A new element to the 2015 Great Run Series is the Morrisons Great Marathon Team Relay event, which is also set to start and finish inside the Stadium.

Each person in a team of four will complete a 10.54K distance, passing a special sash at the end of each section to their team as they cross the finish line. The team’s combined distance will be equal to a marathon.

The London Borough of Newham has invested £45 million in the former Olympic Stadium and South Park, and the Morrisons Great Newham London Run represents one of Newham’s ten Community days with exclusive access to the stadium.

The Stadium is currently undergoing transformation works to turn it into the new national competition centre for British Athletics in 2016 and the permanent home of West Ham United Football Club.

The Stadium is also due to host a number of world class sporting events later this year including Barbarians v Samoa, five matches of the Rugby World Cup and Rugby League international between England and New Zealand. In 2017, the Stadium will host the IPC World Championships and IAAF World Athletics Championships.