A Pictorial Story of the Great North Run

By Ernest Storey

I’ve been up several years to take photographs to document the great north run over the years. I first started in 1985 then I stopped for a while then I went back and took some more from 2006 to 2012 and it just, I just like to document events in the north east.

Do you have a particularly favourite photograph?

Not really I think most of the photographs I take I like all of them I usually quite a thrill out of whatever the photograph is. Whether it’s a church or an event of running or boating events on the Tyne I just enjoy the photographs, I enjoy doing it

And what motivates you?

If you get any event in the area I always like to go, that motivates me straight away. Like the incident I told you about earlier about the fire in Byker, the Ouseburn. As soon as I heard about that I was on the train heading up to Newcastle, that’s all the enthusiasm I need to get up and go I mean I left the garden and just went, grabbed my camera and went. 

So what is it do you think about the great north run that makes it so popular?

I think its just a great event in Newcastle, and in south shields of course because I go to south shields and I think a lot of people get a lot of pleasure out of doing the actual run and they all dress up in some fancy costumes and its great for me for the camera because it gives a bit of colour to it and I think its just a great event you know and I’m hoping to go there again this year for the millionth runner. I’m just deciding which is the best spot to go to take my camera and get some different angles.