ALMOST 57,000 runners took part in this year's Great North Run.

Gold-medal winning Olympian Mo Farah made athletics history by winning his third Great North Run in a row.

No other runner has completed such a hattrick.

Guest starters this year were Bishop Auckland gymnast Amy Tinkler, who won bronze at the Rio Olympics, and 800m superstar David Rudisha.

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Claire Lomas, who was paralysed in a horse riding accident, has completed her six-day challenge to finish the Great North Run route wearing a bionic suit.

She was cheered across the finishing line in South Shields by crowds of spectators.

The 36-year-old, who has no feeling below her chest, set off on Wednesday and used a ReWalk robotic exoskeleton to complete the Newcastle to South Shields course.

She walked three miles a day, step by laborious step, with the help of her husband Dan and cheered on at the finish line by five-year-old daughter Maisie.

The fundraiser from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, is 16 weeks pregnant and struggled to train ahead of the gruelling event due to morning sickness.

She was cheered for the last mile of the course on Sunday morning, crossing the finish line before the elite male runners, including double Olympic champion Mo Farah, had started.

The Northern Echo:

Claire, pictured above crossing the line, said: "There were times I was not sure I would make it here."

She battled the heat, the hilly course and sores caused by straps from her suit rubbing, which needed a trip to A&E for a dressing.

She added: "I had quite a lot of morning sickness. I didn't have the lead up I wanted, but I really did not want to lose this opportunity."

She was delighted with being first across the line, saying: "I never win anything.

"It's incredible, now I can watch everyone else and see if Mo Farah can win it."

Since her accident nine years ago, Ms Lomas has raised more than £500,000 for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation.

She visited schools along the route to speak to children about her fight to overcome the injuries she suffered nine years ago. 

Tania Farah fell to the ground as she completed her first Great North Run before she was congratulated by her husband Mo.

She looked shattered after finishing the half marathon in 1h 49m, watched by the Olympic double gold winner who was waiting at the the finish line in South Shields.

He helped her to her feet then the couple kissed and smiled for the cameras.

Tania, a mother-of-four, confided with Mo: "I'm dying" and thanked the woman who ran with her.

Afterwards she said: "I didn't know he was there at first.

"But it was so nice to see him after I gathered myself and the first thing I asked was did you win?

"I crossed the line at 1.49 something and I am very, very happy with that.

"I am really pleased, I wanted to do it in under two hours.

"My aim was to get as close to 1.50 so I am very happy."

She added: "I had a guy next to me saying 'let's go for it' but I had nothing left so I did what i could but I didn't have Mo's kick.

"I was feeling an awful lot of pain from mile ten onward and at one point I thought how am I going to get to the finish line. I have got three miles left and I thought I can stop right now.

"I thought 'Mo is at the finish line' and if he was here right now he would be telling me to push on.

"So I kept telling myself to push through.

"A burger and chips and some ice cream tonight would be nice."

At the winner's press conference, Farah said he had tried to keep his wife calm before the event, and had helped her training programme.

He said: "She was really nervous, she was saying 'I'm going to be sick' and I was just like, 'chill out'."