THE Ashes will be at the start of Sunday's 25th Great North Run to inspire the record 50,000 runners taking part in the famous half-marathon.

And Durham all-rounder Paul Collingwood, part of the winning Ashes side, will start the race.

The tiny urn, which was presented to England captain Michael Vaughan on Monday at the end of the Fifth Test, is a replica of the original, which dates from the emphatic Australian victory in 1882 and is kept at Lords.

Run chairman Brendan Foster said: "We are delighted and honoured to have Paul Collingwood and The Ashes with us. It will give everyone the chance to show their appreciation for a fantastic achievement by our cricketers."

Among the celebrity runners are Sports Minister Richard Caborn, Jonathan Davies, the Welsh rugby star, Richard Dunwoody, former National Hunt champion jockey, and actor Chris Eccleston, who starred as Doctor Who.

The run will be screened live on BBC1 and across the world, and is expected to raise more than £10m for charity.

More than a dozen entrants will be raising money for Get Kids Going, which offers wheelchairs and funding to help disabled youngsters take part in sport.

The County Durham runners are Janet and Julie Turner, of Shotley Bridge, Janet Lawrence, of Belmont, Paul Dunne, of Ashbrooke, Joanne Poot, of Willington, Terry Redmond and Malcolm Umpelby, from Crook, Victoria Lidster, of Spennymoor, Sharon Roberts, Tara Marie Hudson and Zoe Raine, all from Darlington, Harry Ainscough, of Newton Aycliffe, Peter Hewitson, of Woodham, and Gerald Slack, from Aycliffe Village.

Janet Turner said: "I really wanted to run to help disabled children and young people to get going, especially those kids who can't even walk never mind about run."

For information on the charity, visit www.getkidsgoing.org or call (0207) 4818110.

And a former RAF serviceman hopes his outfit can help him turn in a performance with added bounce. Stephen Heggerston is taking on the course dressed as Tigger, the Winnie the Pooh character.

Mr Heggerston, 44, a security officer from Newcastle, has taken part in four Great North Runs, but is dressing up at the suggestion of his two young nieces. He hopes to finish in about two-and-a-half hours, raising money for global conservation organisation WWF.