Newcastle gran's family reunion for Virtual Great North Run

• New tracks for global Great North Run

The family had planned to make the 350-mile trip from Bournemouth to Newcastle, where Mrs Archibold lives, to run the Great North Run together on her 85th birthday today.

When the event was cancelled due to Covid-19, so was the trip.

Mrs Archibold, from Gosforth, signed up to the Virtual Great North Run and planned to run the half marathon with her daughter Judith in Newcastle.

This morning, Mrs Archibold thought she was being filmed by organisers for a Virtual Great North Run film.

But she was overjoyed when son Chris, his wife Fiona and their children Dominic and Danielle surprised her by making the trip to wish her a happy birthday.

And they started the Virtual Great North Run alongside her.

• Runner, 73, who died for 14 minutes takes on 13.1-mile feat

Instead of running from Newcastle to South Shields, more than 16,000 runners on six continents, in 57 countries and in all 124 UK postcode areas created their own route where they live to take part in the Virtual Great North Run.

Among the runners was John Gray, from Heighington, near Newton Aycliffe.
The 73-year-old has taken part in every Great North Run since 1981 and volunteered at the start line baggage buses for 35 years.
Last May he suffered a cardiac arrest yet, four months later, managed to walk the Great North Run.
This year he joined the global virtual run, completing a 13.1mile route close to his home.

He said: "I was aiming to break three hours and did 2.49 and a half so I was over the moon.

"I'm not allowed to run alone - doctor's orders - so a friend Emma Flynn from Shildon Running Club joined me as a few of us ran just over six-and-a-half miles from Bishop Auckland along the Auckland Way and back.

"It was windy, then sunny and it was hard but I was very thrilled with how I got on."

Among them were runners in Tynemouth this morning.

Pictures: NORTH NEWS AND PICTURES