Great North Run 2025 medals show wrong route and are being sold online as 'error' collectibles
Organisers apologise after finisher medals depicted Sunderland and the River Wear instead of the race route; some sellers list items for up to £5,000
Organisers of the 2025 Great North Run apologised after finisher medals for the world's best-known half marathon were found to feature the wrong route and began appearing online as "error collectables" with some sellers asking for as much as £5,000.
The medals, intended to show an aerial view of the race route through Newcastle, Gateshead and South Shields along the River Tyne, instead depicted an outline of nearby Sunderland and the River Wear. Listings for the 2025 medals appeared on marketplaces including eBay and Vinted with asking prices ranging from about £35 to claims of £925, £3,000 and up to £5,000.
The Great Run Company said every Great North Run medal "should be a treasured memento for those taking part to remember their achievement" and apologised after the design error was spotted. The organisers urged caution to buyers, saying: "We'd urge anyone considering purchasing one online to be mindful of scammers." The company also invited people to enter the ballot for the 2026 event and added: "We can promise that the medal for the 45th staging of the event will be just as special as this year's."
Sellers on the marketplaces described the mistake medals as rare collectables. One eBay seller called the design "unbelievable" and promoted the item as "the rarest, most unique running medal ever". Other listings described the pieces as a "rarity" and a "valuable addition to any sports memorabilia" collection. The BBC said it had not seen evidence that medals had actually sold at the highest prices quoted online.
Many runners reacted on social media by saying they intended to keep their medals. One person posted on Facebook: "At least when people ask what year did you run the GNR I will be able to say the year they messed up the medal - it will definitely be remembered." Event founder Sir Brendan Foster said he had "spent ages marvelling" at the 2025 designs and did not notice the mistake even when they were displayed in the window of city-centre department store Fenwick. "I've lived on the River Tyne my whole life and I should've noticed," he said, adding: "But if I'd run the Great North Run yesterday, I'd still be wearing my medal with pride."
The Great North Run has run annually since 1981, when 12,264 people took part in the inaugural event on 28 June. It routinely attracts tens of thousands of runners who compete for personal goals and to raise money for charities; many collect the finisher medals as mementos. Organisers highlighted the importance of the medal as a keepsake and cautioned the public to be careful when buying items sold as "error" editions.
Production and distribution errors in sporting memorabilia occasionally generate secondary markets, but event organisers said their priority remained the recognition of participants' achievements rather than any commercial value attached to a design fault. The company encouraged those seeking an official medal to enter the 2026 ballot, which at the time remained open for applications.
Organisers did not provide a full explanation of how the design error occurred or how many incorrect medals were produced. They reiterated that every legitimate medal is intended to be a memento of the runner's achievement and advised anyone concerned about authenticity or suspicious listings to contact the Great Run Company directly.