IT would seem uncharitable to raise even a hint of criticism of such a wonderful institution as the Great North Run, even if I have occasionally pondered the incongruity of paying thousands of pounds to professional athletes at the head of a field in which the vast majority are raising thousands for charity.

It seems to work superbly and while there will doubtless be a review of the numbers allowed to take part following the four deaths last month, there seems to be no need for more than minor tinkering.

A reader, however, has queried why details of the money paid to the professional runners are not published, suggesting that millionaires like Paula Radcliffe make a fortune out of the efforts of charity runners, who have to pay an entry fee.

You may feel that the answer to that point was provided by Brendan Foster in the programme about the Great North Run shown on Tyne Tees Television on Tuesday. He said the real story of the event was the untold one of the thousands who ran, not to seek headlines, but for their own quiet satisfaction.

The implication is that they are overjoyed to complete the journey and what happens to their entry fee is the furthest thing from their minds.

Foster is probably right, but you may also feel, as I did, that the programme was nothing more than a promotional video, and I wasn't surprised to see that it was produced by filmNova, part of Foster's company, Nova International.

I prefer to think of Foster as the inspirational athlete he once was, not as a wealthy, self-publicising businessman and I would rather he took part in the event he has created, or greeted the runners crossing the finishing line, instead of sitting in the BBC commentary box.

Having sold the broadcasting rights to the BBC, they should not allow him to commentate on the event, according to their own guidelines. But they obviously feel the benefits of his knowledge, and his deep involvement with the event, outweigh any loss of impartiality.

I have asked Nova for details of appearance and prizemoney for the professional athletes, plus an estimate of the amount raised for charity. If a reply is forthcoming, it will appear here next week.

THE reader who sent in the above query points out that details of golfers' earnings are routinely published, which leads me on to what I consider to be the much more absurd situation of Colin Montgomerie winning £450,000 in an event which fails to excite the St Andrews public, who are not known for having stars in their eyes.

They might relish a shoot-out between Monty and Tiger for the Open, but seeing a professional partnered by a super-model who has to play backwards out of bunkers in the course of a six-hour round is not for them.

It's not for me either, and equally absurd is that the organisers of the dunhill links championship prefer us not to use capital letters in writing about their hugely self-indulgent event.

The only point of interest was whether Ashington's Kenneth Ferrie could give Monty a slap in the face for not selecting him for the Seve Trophy. He couldn't and blamed himself for blowing a five-stroke lead, but it was merely the reverse of what happened in the European Open in July, when everyone else blew up and Ferrie came through to win with a fairly modest final round.

NEWCASTLE Falcons' average attendance last season was 8,000, so it was disappointing that only 4,917 turned up for last Sunday's first outing in the revamped Powergen Cup. They weren't the only ones to suffer, partly because season ticket holders had to pay but also because English clubs are still not embracing the cup with great seriousness.

In the battle for Geordie hearts and minds, however, it's good to see that the high-flying basketball produced by the Eagles has boosted attendances to an average of 3,250 this season, while the ice hockey club, the Vipers, are really taking off.

With the focus on entertainment following elevation to the Elite League, crowds have more than doubled to over 3,000. Not quite what Durham Wasps used to attract, but they're getting there.

THE world's greatest jockey has certainly tasted life's highs and lows this week. Just two days after experiencing his finest hour, capped by his first win in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Kieren Fallon had to report to Bishopsgate police station to answer bail in connections with allegations of race fixing.

He spent the day being questioned by police and was re-bailed until March. Fallon is one of 27 people arrested 13 months ago and the case could easily last for two years, by which time the biggest winners will doubtless be the lawyers.

IN RESPONSE to a complaint that the All Blacks gain an unfair advantage from performing the haka, I have been sent a list of suggestions of how other countries could motivate themselves. Scotland, it says, could run around chanting "You looking at me, Jimmy" before smashing an Iron Bru bottle over their opponents' heads.

Published: 07/10/2005