Red Arrows to fly over Great North Run in Newcastle today
The RAF's Red Arrows will perform their traditional flypast over the Great North Run half marathon in Newcastle and South Shields on Sunday, September 13, despite cancelling appearances in Guernsey and Belgium this week due to technical issues.
What's happening
The Royal Air Force's aerobatic display team, the Red Arrows, will carry out their traditional flypast over the Great North Run on Sunday, September 13 — the world-famous half marathon between Newcastle and South Shields. This year marks the event's 45th anniversary, with a record 63,000 runners taking part, according to Chronicle Live.
Route and timings
The seven jets are due to depart RAF Waddington at 10.18am and head north through Yorkshire and North East England. Along the way they are expected over the Scunthorpe area (10.24am), south of Ugthorpe (10.34am), near Sunderland (10.40am), north-west of Consett (10.43am), Haydon Bridge (10.45am) and south-east of Ponteland (10.50am), according to The Northern Echo and the Hexham Courant.
Sources differ slightly on the exact time the team appears over Newcastle: The Northern Echo and Hexham Courant put it at 10.52am, while Chronicle Live reports the flypast is timed to coincide with the race start at 10.50am, when Newcastle United captain Dan Burn will act as starter. Over the finish area in South Shields, where much of the crowd will gather, the Red Arrows are due at approximately 10.53am.
After passing the route, the aircraft will head south along the Yorkshire coast, returning to RAF Waddington by around 11.22am.
Uncertainty and cancellations elsewhere
An RAF spokesperson confirmed the flypast will go ahead as planned, as reported by the Hexham Courant. The confirmation follows the team's withdrawal earlier this week from the Guernsey Air Display because of aircraft and engineering resource problems, and — as Chronicle Live reports, citing the Guernsey Press — the cancellation of a large display in Belgium. However, the team's appearance at the Jersey International Air Display on Thursday, the day after the planned Guernsey date, went ahead without issue.
About the event
Elite runners taking part include last year's winners Alex Mutiso and Sheila Chepkirui, Olympian Eilish McColgan and Gateshead Harriers' Calum Johnson. The Red Arrows have taken part in the Great North Run since 2002, according to the Hexham Courant. All timings are approximate and may change due to weather or operational requirements.
