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Monday, October 06, 2008, 12:47
Triple Olympic cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy will be joined by double swimming gold medallist Rachel Adlington and legendary distance runner Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia.
Paralympic heroine Ellie Simmons, the winner of two swimming golds, will also be there to cheer the 52,000 runners on their way.
Brendan Foster, chairman of the Bupa Great North Run and himself an Olympic medallist, said he was honoured to welcome the athletes to Newcastle.
"We might have to strengthen the podium with all that gold around," he told The Sunday Sun.
More than 50,000 competitors are expected to take part in the run, which starts in Newcastle and makes its way to South Shields, South Tyneside, by way of the Tyne Bridge, Felling bypass, and the Coast Road.
The weather forecast for the day was good, with runners greeted by clear blue skies and temperatures reaching 12C.
Grim find
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