Great North Run organisers apologise after medals show Sunderland and River Wear
About 60,000 finishers were given medals depicting the wrong city and river; organisers called the error a 'mistake' and offered a light-hearted apology.
Organisers of this year’s Great North Run apologised after medals handed to finishers featured an aerial outline of the wrong city and river.
About 60,000 people completed the 13.1-mile half-marathon on Sunday and each received a medal designed to show an aerial view of Newcastle, Gateshead, South Shields and the River Tyne. Instead, the image printed on the medals and on related merchandise used an outline of nearby Sunderland and the River Wear, which have no involvement in the event, the Great Run Company said.
An organiser’s statement said "eagle-eyed" participants and supporters spotted the error. The company acknowledged it had "made a mistake" and offered a jocular response in its public remarks, saying the mix-up made the item "the most unique t-shirt and medal in Great North Run history, a keepsake that we'll be talking about in 44 years' time." The statement also included the line "Wear sorry!", a reference to Sunderland’s location on Wearside.
The image’s designer, Newcastle-based artist Howard Lee, was approached for comment. Ahead of the event he had described the commission as "quite a striking design" and said he felt "very privileged" to be involved.
Event founder Sir Brendan Foster said he had "spent ages marvelling" at the designs and had not noticed the error, even when the medals were displayed in the city centre department store Fenwick. "I've lived on the River Tyne my whole life and I should've noticed," he said, adding that he would still wear his medal with pride if he had run. "Thanks to everyone who took part in an amazing event yesterday and all the supporters who came out to cheer on the runners. It was a fantastic Great North Run, and we're already looking forward to 2026 after we've brushed up on our geography," Foster said.
Organisers noted that details from the event, including appearances by Newcastle United stars at the start line, remained unchanged. The Great Run Company said the medal artwork also appeared on clothing and other merchandise distributed in connection with the race.
Race officials did not indicate whether participants would be offered replacement medals. The company framed the episode as an unintentional error rather than a deliberate change to the route or branding, and reiterated that the Great North Run is a regional celebration.
The Great North Run, one of the world’s largest half-marathons, begins in Newcastle and crosses the River Tyne before finishing in South Shields. The medals were distributed at the finish line in South Shields to participants who completed the race on Sunday.