Great North Run Awards Sunderland Map Instead Tyne, Organisers Apologise

The Great North Run organisers issued an apology after mistakenly featuring a map of Sunderland, including the River Wear, on the finisher medals and T-shirts instead of Newcastle and the River Tyne, despite the race route running from Newcastle to South Shields. The error was spotted by many of the 60,000 participants who received the commemorative items, causing surprise and amusement due to the sporting rivalry between the two cities. The map on the merchandise incorrectly showed landmarks such as the Stadium of Light, home to Sunderland AFC, while labelling areas as Newcastle, Gateshead, and South Shields. Organisers clarified that this was a genuine mistake and not an early reveal of next year’s race route. Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run, also acknowledged the oversight, expressing pride in the unique memorabilia despite the error. The organisers emphasized that the event remains a celebration of the region and noted that the unusual map design would be a memorable keepsake for years to come.