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The girls are back in toon!
Could we have hoped for a more beautiful day to be back at the world’s largest half marathon? With not a cloud in the sky the sunscreen was passed along as we gathered at our usual meeting spot. A buzz of excitement passed through the gathering crowd as people strolled to the start line. The Walk the Walk team certainly stood out in some fabulously decorated bras and we even spotted a celeb or two!
On the tract of motorway where the challenge began our party could be picked out from far away. Our coloured clusters of pink balloons made the Walk the Walk team easy to spot in the crowds and we even attracted the attention of the local newspaper – we were centre spread! Soon the crowd began to inch forwards; it was time to begin our challenge.
We set off to waves and high fives from (a very beardy) Sting and threaded through the underpasses and junctions of Newcastle. The traditional cry of “Oggy! Oggy! Oggy!” echoed off the city streets and was answered by a chorus of “Oy! Oy! Oy!”. Before long we had reached spectacular city views across the famous Tyne Bridge. The crowds of Newcastle and Gateshead are such a huge part of what makes the event so special – staying to cheer along every inch of 13.1 miles, until the very last person goes by, offering sweets and treats along the way. Children lined the route to high-five walkers and runners or ask for their balloons, whilst families played music from their houses, or ran hoses to cool us all down.
In fact, the only thing to match those cheers was the roar of the Red Arrows jetting overhead! But that wasn’t the only thing to keep us going – fantastic live music saw us dancing through the miles too – and the amazing party zone in mile ten had everybody pumped up to the finish.
The final stretch brought us to some beautiful coastline and the gleaming white peaks of the Charity Village on the other side of the finishing line was a welcoming site – especially knowing that Kerry and John were there waiting for us with a nice hot cup of tea!