The ceremonial commencement of the 2025 Great North Run will be marked by Newcastle United’s Jacob Murphy and Nick Pope on Sunday.
On Sunday, September 7, the 2025 AJ Bell Great North Run will commence in Newcastle with Newcastle United’s Jacob Murphy and Nick Pope.
Newcastle will be represented on the starters platform for the 44th edition of “the world’s greatest half marathon” by Murphy and Pope, who were instrumental in the club’s success in the 2025 Carabao Cup and qualification for the Champions League..
The 13.1 mile course down to South Shields will be accompanied by a multitude of over 200,000 spectators, as elite athletes and 60,000 runners prepare to queue for the Great North Run, which will be broadcast live on BBC One at 10 a.m.
A lengthy list of prominent North East figures who have initiated the Great North Run will be joined by Murphy and Pope. The starting lineup has included Sting, Ant McPartlin, Dec Donnelly, Sir Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer, Eddie Howe, and Jill Scott, as well as fellow Olympic Champions Dame Kelly Holmes and Sir Chris Hoy.
Founder of GNR, Sir Brendan Foster, responds.
In 44 years of the Great North Run, Sir Brendan Foster, the Founder of the Great North Run and President of The Great Run Company, stated, “We have had a Prime Minister, England football managers, rock stars, Olympic Champions, TV celebrities, and a whole host of other notable figures. However, we have never had players representing a North East football club who have won a major trophy.”
It was only appropriate to continue the celebrations at this year’s AJ Bell Great North Run, as the Magpies’ success was widely celebrated throughout the North East.
The Newcastle United perspective of 2025 Great North Run participant Jacob Murphy
Murphy was asked which of his Newcastle comrades he would support to perform the best in the half-marathon in anticipation of the Great North Run.
“I would endorse Sven Botman, who is a significant figure,” Murphy stated. “He performed exceedingly well during our summer yo-yo testing, and he will be our victorious candidate.”
Botman’s decision to test the finest will be a pleasant surprise to those who are not familiar with the defender’s injury history from the previous two seasons.
Murphy included the following about the worst-case scenario: “Fabian Schar.” Awful, awful runner, as his game is primarily about intelligence rather than sprinting.
My promo man would be Big Dan Burn. When you are in the trenches, he is the voice you want in your ear, encouraging you to persist.
“After I have finished playing, I believe that the Great North Run would be a worthwhile challenge to test myself in a new comfort zone.” “I anticipate these new challenges when I conclude my gaming session.”
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