Medals for Great North Run feature incorrect river and city, with Wear and Sunderland on the map instead of Tyne and Newcastle; organisers issue apology by saying ‘Wear sorry!’; event president Sir Brendan Foster says he did not notice the blunder after “marvelling” at designs

Last Updated: 08/09/25 7:19pm

Great North Run organisers have issued an apology, saying “Wear sorry!” after medals awarded to finishers of Sunday’s event featured the incorrect city and river.

The 13.1-mile route runs from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields but the map on the medal background wrongly featured the River Wear snaking through Sunderland.

The error was also noticed on official T-shirts.

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In a statement issued to Sky News, organisers said: “Wear sorry!

“As the eagle-eyed have already spotted, the shape of the river on this year’s finisher T-shirt & medal is indeed the River Wear. Lots of people looked very closely at the designs and none of us picked it up.

“We had Newcastle United stars on the start line and the Stadium of Light on the medal. The Great North Run is truly a celebration of the region, even more so than we had planned.

“For the 60,000 who ran yesterday, you’ve got the most unique T-shirt & medal in Great North Run history, a keepsake that we’ll be talking about in 44 years’ time.”

The statement also dispelled rumours that the image was a hint the Great North Run will head further south in 2026: “To answer the rumours that this was the route reveal for next year…. sorry to disappoint, it’s a mistake.”

Founder and president of the event, Sir Brendan Foster, said: “I loved the designs for the medal and T-shirt, spent ages marvelling at them, and never spotted the mistake.

“I’ve lived on the River Tyne my whole life and I should’ve noticed, but if I’d run the Great North Run yesterday, I’d still be wearing my medal with pride.

“It was a fantastic Great North Run, and we’re already looking forward to 2026, after we’ve brushed up on our geography.”