- Sir Brendan Foster says IOC has new credibility from Lord Coe
- He says the sport’s renewed popularity can be further increased by him
The Great North Run is expected to set another world record for a mass half marathon, starting in Newcastle city centre on Sunday morning.
Race founder and British athletics icon Sir Brendan Foster said 60,000 runners would take part in the race, a new high fuelled by healthier lifestyles among under-30s runners and the exploits of Keely Hodgkinson, the women’s 800m gold medallist at last month’s Olympics.
Sir Brendan believed that British athletics was experiencing a revival after the world athletics body had been given new credibility by Lord Coe, the chairman of World Athletics, whom he backed as Thomas Bach’s successor as IOC president.
“We have a record number of participants, 58,000, and we expect a record number of finishers,” Foster said. “Something is happening since Covid. Younger people are more health conscious.
“Non-alcoholic beers and wines are booming and kids are going to the gym. We’ve already opened the ballot for next year’s event and had 10,000 entries in the first two hours. We feel like we’re in a running boom. There’s also inspiration from top athletes. We haven’t had a golden girl like Keely in a long time.”
Sir Brendan Foster (left) has backed Lord Coe (right) to succeed Thomas Bach as IOC president
Foster also believes the sport’s renewed popularity, after its image has been dragged through the mud for so many years, can only increase if Coe is chosen to replace Bach when he steps down next year.
“Seb would be a fantastic choice,” Foster added.
‘I would love it if he stayed in athletics because the sport was corrupt before he came, but he would have even more influence at the IOC.’