A GOLDEN summer of sport will draw to a close with a festival of athletics in the North- East this weekend.

A sensational array of London 2012 Olympic gold medallists featuring Mo Farah, rower Kat Copeland, boxer Nicola Adams, Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and long jumper Greg Rutherford will act as honorary starters of the Great North Run.

A record 55,000 people from all over the world are taking part in the half-marathon from Newcastle to South Shields on Sunday.

Brendan Foster, chairman of race organisers Nova, said: “As we look back on London 2012, what a special year it is to be staging Britain’s biggest ever mass participation event. We hope the road to South Shields will be lined with more spectators than ever to cheer on our record number of runners.”

The Red Arrows display team will fly over the mass of runners at 10.38am, just before the start of the run, soaring above the Tyne Bridge at 11am and then staging their traditional display over the finish area in South Shields at 1.15pm.

Olympic champions Tirunesh Dibaba and Tiki Gelana head a star-studded women’s field where they can expect tough opposition from British number one Jo Pavey.

The men’s race features Olympic marathon bronze medallist Wilson Kipsang, who earlier in the year won the London Marathon and last year’s world cross country champion Imane Merga, of Ethiopia.

Tomorrow, the quaysides of Newcastle and Gateshead will be a hive of activity with nearly 6,000 runners aged three to 16 taking part in the Bupa Junior and Mini Great North Run, and the first Bupa Great North Run 5k.

Elite athletes from Great Britain and Northern Ireland will also be taking on the US in the Great North City Games.

One of the highlights of the weekend will be the appearance of double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah in an invitational two-mile event at 1pm on the Quayside tomorrow.

Greg Rutherford, who won an Olympic long jump gold medal, will be making his final appearance of the sporting season.

The 25-year-old, of Milton Keynes, said: “People are so enthusiastic about sport right now and we have to keep the momentum going.

“The format of this competition is so unique, it attracts a different audience and it’s great as an athlete to be able perform so close to a big crowd.

Hopefully we can give them a good show.

“For a lot of people taking part it will be their last competition of the season, the perfect end to an extremely exciting GUESTS: Ellie Simmonds, Kat Copeland, and Mo Farah summer.”