Northumberland Street will welcome competitive runners for the first time in more than 40 years when Newcastle’s HogmanHOWAY 5K returns on New Year’s Eve.
Organisers have unveiled a revised route for the event, which made its debut last December and is doubling its capacity to 3,000 participants.
Starting at 7.30pm on December 31 at the junction of St Mary’s Place and College Street, the race will take runners through the city centre, including Northumberland Street and parts of Northumbria University, before finishing on Ceremonial Way outside the Civic Centre.
The return to Northumberland Street revives memories of the Newcastle City Centre 5K races of the early 1980s, which attracted some of Britain’s leading athletes.
Among them was Steve Cram, who competed against fellow North East runner Mike McLeod and world record holder Dave Moorcroft in 1984, shortly before the Los Angeles Olympics.
McLeod won that race, while Cram finished sixth before going on to claim Olympic silver in the 1,500m.
Cram, who founded HogmanHOWAY 5K, said: “I have very fond memories of racing along Northumberland Street against Mike and many rivals from the North East, elsewhere in the UK and other nations.
“The Newcastle crowds always generated a great atmosphere and running past so many iconic landmarks added a lot to the occasion.”
He added: “I don’t think that Mike or I are planning a rerun of our 1984 battle, but I look forward to watching thousands of others enjoy the experience of racing and supporting – it’s going to be a spectacular part of New Year’s Eve in Newcastle.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “The first HogmanHOWAY 5k was a huge success, and now we’re backing it to go bigger and better as part of our ambition to make the North East a Region of Sport. Bringing thousands of runners together through the heart of Newcastle on New Year’s Eve is exactly the kind of event I want us to support: getting people active, bringing communities together and celebrating our region on a big stage.
“It’s going to be a fantastic night and a brilliant way to run into 2027.”
The event, organised by Events of the North, forms part of Newcastle’s wider New Year’s Eve celebrations and will support the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
More than 1,000 runners have already signed up, with organisers expecting places to sell out. Entries are available at eventsofthenorth.com.