Great North Run organisers say sorry after medal mix-up
The glaring error on the 2025 Great North Run medals
- Organisers of the Great North Run issued a pun-filled apology after mistakenly featuring a map of Sunderland on thousands of finishers’ T-shirts and medals.
- The error affected over 60,000 runners who completed the 13.1-mile route from Newcastle to South Shields.
- Tyneside loyalists quickly voiced their shock on social media as the medal's background map clearly depicted Sunderland's River Wear instead of the River Tyne.
- Organisers admitted the mistake, dispelling cheeky rumours that it hinted at a future route change, and stated that no one involved in the design process had noticed the error.
- They described the misprinted merchandise as the "most unique" in the event's history, with founder Sir Brendan Foster also admitting he had not spotted the mistake.