The glaring error on the 2025 Great North Run medals

9 Sep 2025 • 12:48 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • 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.

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