Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is starter for Great North Run

The Magpies boss will fire the starting pistol to begin the world's biggest half-marathon, which follows a course from Newcastle to South Shields.

Howe is the first Newcastle boss to start the Great North Run since the late Sir Bobby Robson, who shared starter duties with the then Sunderland manager Peter Reid.

Great North Run founder Brendan Foster said: "We're delighted Eddie will be joining us on the iconic starter’s platform on Sunday, to set 60,000 runners on their way.

"He joins a long list of North-East heroes who have performed official starting duties including Sting, Ant and Dec and Jill Scott.

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"Eddie will also be the first Newcastle manager to start the Great North Run since Sir Bobby Robson, who was also the last manager to take the team to the Champions League.

"Newcastle has always been a proud sporting city and it's great to see Newcastle United thrive on a national and international stage.

"We’re sure there will be a huge number of Newcastle fans who will be delighted to get the opportunity to say thank you to Eddie in person."