Have you bagged your place in this year’s Great North Run?

Keen and not so keen runners are this week finding out if they’ve been successful in the 2018 ballot.

Among the 40,000+ people taking on the 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields this year will be the Equal Arts runners!

Alongside our charity running team, we’d love it if you wanted to show us your support and run to raise funds to combat loneliness and improve wellbeing among older people and those living with dementia.

Kate, Helen, Ruth, Catherine and Bethan have all committed to take on this year’s challenge to help to bring creativity and its benefits to older people.

Ruth, from Gateshead, said: “I love running, being creative and working in the arts so running the Great North Run for Equal Arts seemed like the perfect match. I’m so happy to be running for such a wonderful charity who help people to live better lives through creativity.”

Having missed out on a place in the Simplyhealth run last year, Bethan is keen to get training and get fundraising. “I thought it was good opportunity to commit and raise some money for a great cause close to my heart,” she said. I’m already waking up with the fear at night thinking I've not trained enough…so better start raising my game!”

While the others are dusting off their trainers, Kate has dug out her googles, doing the double with the Great North Swim as well.

Kate, who lives in Ryton, added: “Running in the Great North Run has always been on the ‘one day I’ll make it happen’ wish list but I never ever truly believed I could do it.  I’ve been so inspired by the challenge and the reality of benefiting from some ‘me’ training time away from the hustle bustle of family life that in a moment of madness I signed up to participate in the Great North Swim too.

“It may take me ages to pass those finish lines but I’m going to love every minute of it and know that I’m supporting a charity that transforms older people’s lives in the process!”

If you’d like raise funds for Equal Arts while you run please email us on information@equalarts.org.uk for all you need to get started.

To keep up-to-date with the Equal Arts runners click on their names above.