Zouhair Talbi Makes History as First American to Win Great North Run; Brigid Kosgei Dominates Women's Field

Newcastle United captain Dan Burn sounded the starting horn on Sunday morning, sending a record-breaking 63,000 runners across the Tyne Bridge for the 45th edition of the Great North Run. Under warm, sunny skies with temperatures peaking around 17 degrees Celsius, the 13.1-mile route from Newcastle to South Shields delivered historic elite performances and massive charitable milestones.[1]

In the men's elite race, American Zouhair Talbi executed a perfectly timed late surge to drop defending champion Alex Mutiso of Kenya. The two ran shoulder-to-shoulder deep into South Shields before Talbi pulled away over the closing stretch, crossing the finish line in 59:47. Mutiso followed 14 seconds later in 1:00:01, narrowly missing a sub-hour finish, while Japan's Yohei Ikeda claimed third in 1:00:40.[1][3]

Talbi's victory marks the first time an American man has won the Great North Run in its 45-year history. Born in Morocco, Talbi became a United States citizen last year and has been on a tear through 2026. He won the Houston Marathon in January with a course-record 2:05:45 and ran 2:03:45 at the Boston Marathon in April—the fastest time ever recorded by an American on that course. He will next race the New York City Marathon on November 1.[1][3]

The women's race belonged entirely to Brigid Kosgei. The Kenyan star and former marathon world record-holder broke away early and won by a commanding margin of two minutes and four seconds. Kosgei clocked 1:06:15, comfortably ahead of defending champion and compatriot Sheila Chepkirui, who finished in 1:08:19. Ethiopia's Melknat Wudu rounded out the podium in 1:09:37.[1][2]

Kosgei, who previously won the race in 2021 and 2022, used the event as a tune-up for her return to the Chicago Marathon later this autumn. She still holds the Great North Run women's course record of 1:04:28, set in 2019, and her dominant performance on Sunday signals she has fully recovered from the injury struggles that have hampered her recent seasons. For runner-up Chepkirui, the event remains a vital fixture. "The Great North Run has become an important race for me over the last couple of years, either coming off a summer season or building up towards an autumn marathon," she said prior to the race.[1]

The British elite contingent saw mixed fortunes. Marc Scott, the 2021 Great North Run champion, was the first domestic man across the line, finishing eighth overall in 1:02:10. In the women's field, Amy-Eloise Neale led the British effort with a fifth-place finish in 1:10:27. Pre-race favorite Eilish McColgan was forced to withdraw on the morning of the race due to severe blister issues.[1]

The elite wheelchair races produced their own slice of history. British legend David Weir secured a staggering 10th Great North Run victory, dominating the men's field in 43:06. Irishman Patrick Monahan finished second in 45:31. In the women's wheelchair event, Mel Woods took first place in 50:19 as she builds toward her marathon debut in Berlin later this month.[1]

Beyond the elite fields, the mass participation event underscored the Great North Run's status as a cultural institution. More than 200,000 spectators lined the route to cheer on the 63,000 amateur runners. Among them was UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who became the first serving Prime Minister to compete in the race while in office. Running for the homelessness charity Changing Lives, Burnham finished in 1:57:35.[2]

Since its inception in 1981, the Great North Run has seen 1.4 million competitors cross its finish line. "Over the last 45 years we have seen countless memorable moments at the Great North Run, records have been broken and champions born," said Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the event. Organizers expect the 2026 weekend to generate over £25 million for charitable causes, cementing its reputation not just as a premier athletic contest, but as one of the world's most impactful fundraising events.