A RECORD 50,000 entrants will ensure the 20th Great North Run marks a milestone as Britain's biggest mass participation event.

The landmark will be set once the 31,649th runner crosses the line after Olympic triple jump gold medallist Jonathan Edwards fires the starting pistol on the central motorway in Newcastle on Sunday at 10.10am.

Organisers have increased the entry list by a further 6,000 from 44,000 last year, after liaising with local authorities and emergency services.

Race official Dave Martin, of Great North Run promoter Nova International, said this year's 50,000 runners, 38,000 more than the entry total for the first event in 1981, was set to meet growing demand.

"It has exceeded anything we could have imagined over the years. There was this demand and so we spoke to the relevant authorities, including police, medical and fire services and everything has had to be adjusted to cope with the extra runners.

"Normally, there is a drop-out rate of 10,000 or more from the original entry. What's a good idea in January might not seem such a good one in March and by October it's a definite non-starter.

"But we are confident we can exceed the record."

Despite the biggest-ever field, runners should not expect to take much longer than usual to filter over the starting line and extra space has been set aside at the finish, on the Leas in South Shields.

Runners who live in The Northern Echo circulation area have an extra incentive this year as they are automatically entered into a race within the race.

Two trophies and two plaques are up for grabs, plus four pairs of Reebok running shoes.

The prizes will be awarded to the first male and female runner from The Northern Echo area to cross the line, as well as the man aged over-40 and the first woman over-35 to finish the run.

Apart from elite runners, such as three-times London marathon winner Dionicio Ceron, of Mexico, and Brazil's former world marathon record holder, Ronaldo da Costa, Kenyan women's world marathon record holder Tegla Loroupe and Britain's valiant Olympic 10,000-metre runner Paula Radcliffe, this year's run has attracted celebrity competitors.

Stars of London's Burning, Casualty and Emmerdale are taking part as the TV Times team raising money for Leukaemia Research.

Others include children's TV presenter Angellica Bell and former jump jockey Richard Dunwoody, both running for the children's medical research charity Sparks.

Thousands of other runners are covering the foot-slogging 13.1 miles for good causes, including a team of 65 Freemasons from lodges across the Durham Province.

The UN is sending its own representative for the first time, in the form of 16-year-old Laura Sweeting, the youngest ever UN Goodwill Ambassador.

Another first is the presence of the Great North Run's own poet-in-residence, Andy Croft from Middlesbrough, sponsored by the Arts Council of England.

A keen half-marathon runner, the Teesside poet has produced an epic poem in keeping with the heroic nature of the run.

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