THE eyes of the country will be on the North-East tomorrow as the region hosts the 27th Great North Run, Europe's most popular road race.

A total of 50,000 people, ranging from elite runners and disabled athletes to celebrities and ordinary people, will cross the 13.1-mile starting line on the Central Motorway in Newcastle - each hoping to reach the seafront at South Shields in the best time possible.

The whole country will have an interest in the event - which will be screened live on BBC1 - because there are entrants from every postcode in the UK.

More than 90,000 people applied for places and many were disappointed.

This year, Sir Bobby Robson, the County Durham-born former manager of the England and Newcastle United football teams, will fire the starting pistol. He was the official starter in 1999 and has described it as a "great honour".

World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, 33, will attempt to win her third Great North Run women's title when she takes part in the race for the first time in four years.

She has not competed since winning a 10,000 metres road race in Madrid, on New Year's Eve 2005, because of injuries and the birth of her daughter, Isla, last January.

She said: "It is that time of the year and I have many happy memories of good races at the Great North Run. It seemed a natural place to start back. I love mass races where the atmosphere is so good at the start and all along the route."

Last year's men's winner, Hendrick Ramaala, from South Africa, will attempt to match the four successes achieved by Benson Masya, of Kenya, whose first came in 1991 and last five years later.

Ramaala first won ten years ago and the former New York Marathon champion also won in 2003 and again last year.

Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, who won the wheelchair race a record eight times, has retired from competition, but will be at the event tomorrow.

She, and fellow members of the New Marske Harriers, will be handing out water at the 8.5 miles water station in John Reid Road, South Shields.

Roads on the route will be closed and will reopen after runners have passed.

Competitors and spectators are advised to use public transport if possible because of possible congestion in and around South Shields after the race.

Between 7am and 5pm, the Tyne and Wear Transport Executive, Nexus, will operate a seven-and-a-half minute Metro service between Newcastle International Airport and South Shields, and a ten-minute service on the North Tyne route. A ten-minute service will run between Sunderland and Pelaw. A continuous bus service will run between Bents Park Road, South Shields, and either Newcastle, depending on road openings, or Heworth, Gateshead.

A shuttle bus will run between Bents Park Road and Church Way, South Shields, to serve the town centre car parks and the ferry to North Shields.

The run will be broadcast live on BBC1 from 9.30am to 1.30pm. Highlights will be screened on BBC2, from 6.05pm to 6.45pm