Sophie M

The Great North Run has been in existence as long as the London Marathon. With 56,000 runners, the field outnumbers the marathon. Both though are truly iconic races in British distance running. This was to be my first GNR and my first half marathon since being diagnosed with mastocytosis.

On the surface, in 2011, I was the fittest I had ever been and running faster than I ever had but underneath there was something wrong. Half the time I felt great, half the time I felt grotty.