11:43am Friday 10th September 2010
THE NORTH-EAST'S famous double act Ant and Dec will return to their home city to officially start the Bupa Great North Run.
The Geordie twosome will wave off the 54,000 runners in Newcastle as runners set off on their 13.1 mile journey to the finish line at South Shields on Sunday September 19.
Previous starters of the Bupa Great North Run, which is televised live on BBC One, have included Sir Bobby Robson, Dame Kelly Holmes, Jackie Charlton, Frank Williams, Jonathan Edwards , Dame Tanni Grey Thompson and rock star Sting last year.
Following an invitation from Bupa Great North Run founder, Brendan Foster, both Ant and Dec were delighted to be asked to start the world's largest half marathon.
Ant said: "It's a great honour for us to be asked by Brendan to be the starters of the Bupa Great North Run. We're just relieved he didn't ask us to run it."
Meanwhile Dec dropped a hint about the pair's future involvement in the race, saying: "It is something the North-East is very proud of and we're really looking forward to being involved in the 30th event.
" Who knows, one day we both might run it, although I'd clearly finish well ahead of Ant."
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