byStuart Weir
Jordan Williamz takes the Great North City Games Elite Miles, photo by Film Nova
Laura Muir takes the Great North City Games Elite Miles, photo by Film Nova
The Great North City Games Elite Miles are the traditional end of season event for many top European athletes, and US as well. Stuart Weir is writing this column, at his 18th event for runblogrun during 2018. We are building a statue of haggis in his honor at my little farmhouse in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Thanks, Stuart Weir, who I believed was Scottish for the first 2 years of his career with us.
Great North City Games Elite Miles, by Stuart Weir
The Great North Run two day festival of running started with men’s and women’s mile races on the road at Stockton. The women’s race was won by Laura Muir in 4:33 from Susan Krumins (Netherlands) in an identical time. Jess Judd was third in 4:35. There had been talk of a Scottish 1-2-3 but Jemma Reekie and Eilish McColgan finished fourth and fifth.
Muir was delighted to finish her season with a win, saying: “It was quite tough. We went off at quite a good pace. We shared the lead at the front and then I made a move with 400 to go.
“Road racing is quite different with bends and hills and I think the road surface has more impact and takes more out of your legs as well. It’s something fun and something different and the crowd is really close as well and I really enjoy it”.
The men’s race was won by Jordan Williamsz (Australia) from Adbedati Iguider (Morocco) both given a time of 4:11. Paul Robinson was third in 4:12
Shortly after the mile races finished, 1000 people set out in a 10K race. In addition 8,500 children will take part in age group races throughout the day with the Great North Run – elite and with a field of around 60,000 on Sunday.
