Sheila Chepkirui and Alexander Mutiso claim victories on Tyneside, while Ben Connor leads the British men's field

The streets of Newcastle were dry and clear for this year's Great North Run on Sunday (Sept 7) – a welcome change from last year's rain-soaked event. But despite the improved weather, runners still faced a challenge: a persistent headwind that swept across much of the half-marathon course, making fast times nearly impossible.

Still, the tough conditions did little to dampen the day, as several battles among the elites unfolded along the iconic route from the city centre to the South Shields coastline.

In the women's race, all eyes were on Eilish McColgan, who returned to the start line aiming to improve on her fifth-place finish from last year. Many hoped the British star would follow in the footsteps of her mother, Liz McColgan, and claim a Great North Run victory.

But it was Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui who stole the spotlight. The 2024 New York marathon winner surged to the front early, working in tandem with compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot to set the pace. As the pair approached the final stretch along the coast, Chepkirui found another gear, pulling away from Cheruiyot to secure the win in 69:32.

Cheruiyot followed closely behind in 69:37, while McColgan, who had initially allowed the leading pair to break away, made an impressive comeback in the latter stages. Though she narrowed the gap significantly, she fell just short of catching them, finishing third in 69:43, only five seconds behind Cheruiyot.

"It was tough today," she said. "I knew the field was strong. These are the same women who came first and third in the New York marathon so I knew I was going to be up against it. I found it a bit tougher than I would have liked with the wind and the hills.

"I'm happy, I'm healthy and injury free. I feel like it's a good starting point now for the rest of the winter. It reminded me of the Commonwealth Games with people screaming and it did really help with closing the gap. I was closing and closing but unfortunately I left it a little bit too late but there's lots to learn.

"These women are really strong with the marathon distance so I think my next step is working out how I close the gap or how I stay engaged. I think for me mentally, coming from the track, I still feel it's a long distance but I'm excited for what's next."

Emily Sisson (70:17) from the USA and Mitsu Ozaki (72:53) rounded out the top five respectively. For the British leaderboard, it was Jenny Nesbitt (74:21) and Naomi Robinson (74:55) who finished in the top three.

In the men's elite race, pre-race favourite Alexander Mutiso Munyao lived up to expectations with a commanding victory on British soil. The Kenyan, who won the 2024 London Marathon, enjoyed another prestigious win as he crossed the line in 60:52 for his first Great North Run title.

Mutiso ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Belgium's Bashir Abdi for the majority of the race, the two athletes locked in a tactical battle through the tough headwinds. But in the closing stages, Mutiso made a decisive move, pulling away as Abdi failed to respond. The gap gave Mutiso time to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the crowd as he surged towards victory.

Abdi finished six seconds behind in 60:58 to claim second place, while last year's champion, Abel Kipchumba of Kenya, rounded out the podium in 61:01 after struggling to keep pace with the front pair in the final miles.

On the domestic front, the battle to be the first British finisher was equally close. Marc Scott, the 2021 winner, made a bold statement early by setting out hard in the opening mile. However, the early effort proved costly. He was soon reeled in by Ben Connor and Jake Smith, who worked together to push the pace.

As the race entered its final stretch, Connor found another gear, pulling away from Smith in the last mile to take fourth place overall, and top Brit, with a time of 62:57. Smith followed just 10 seconds behind in 63:07, finishing fifth overall and second among the British athletes.

Scott held on to complete the British podium in 64:05.

Connor said: "That was one of toughest half marathon's I've ever done with the wind. It was a headwind the whole way so it was brutal from the first couple of miles. It was just about the race because the times went out the window from early doors.

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"I felt strong coming into the last mile so it was nice to get the British win. The crowd know how to make a noise, I love it here and I love coming up to this race."

In the men's wheelchair race Sean Frame took the win in 49:24, as he built a strong lead from Simon Lawson who finished second in 52:38. Anton Shepherd finished third with 54:21.

It was another clear win in the women's wheelchair race as Mel Nicholls won the title in 65:24 ahead of Italy's Rita Curuccu in 82:22. Catriona Johnston was third in 97:12.