If so, the organisers of the world’s largest half marathon, the Great North Run, want your help as they look to build on the record breaking achievement of 2016.
The Great Run Company entered the Guinness World Record when runners born in 178 nations of the 193 UN-recognised nations across the world took the start line as the Great North Run became the Great World Run.
The achievement attracted praise from the then-United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, who said: “The Great North Run is an example of how sport empowers, motivates and inspires. It is a true celebration of humanity, commitment and personal achievement.
“In a culture that loves to celebrate winners, this event makes winners of all its participants.”
The Great Run Company is now hoping to set a new record for the 2017 event, to be held on September 10, and already have more than 100 nations signed up, including the tiny South Pacific island of Palau which was missing from last year’s list.
The company launched this year’s appeal for international runners at an event at Newcastle’s Quayside, with a number of returning entrants signing the praises of the initiative.
Venezuelan national Vania Croce, who has lived in the North-East for the past eight years, signed up last year and is encouraging people from the outstanding countries to lace up their running shoes to take part in such a unique project.
She said: “It was amazing to have the chance to represent Venezuela at such a high profile event, and on top of that I was able to raise funds for Chamos, a Venezuelan charity based in the UK.
“The Great North Run’s message of diversity and inclusivity by including people from across the world is great, and it was an amazing experience to be part of it.
“The people from the different countries have a Facebook group and there is a strong social side to it, and we have become good friends.
“For those that could sign up but haven’t yet, you are missing a huge opportunity for your country and yourself, and whatever charity you would like to support.”
With 82 countries still needed to reach the entire 193, people can email international@greatrun.org if they would like to be considered.
Those countries are Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niger, Peru, Qatar, Republic of Korea (South), Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Soloman Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.
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