Great North Run Attracts Stars of Stage and Screen

28 AUG2009

An array of famous faces will be donning their trainers and taking to the streets from Newcastle to South Shields in the 29th staging of the Great North Run.

The world's biggest half marathon, with a record 54,000 entrants this year, will be broadcast live on BBC ONE for four hours on Sunday September 20.

Celebrities signed up to take part include the following:

- Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay with his wife Tana

- Olympic gold medallist and Antarctic explorer James Cracknell with his fellow adventurer Ben Fogle

- Richard Dunwoody, former champion jockey and recently announced Strictly Come Dancing competitor

- This year's winner of The Apprentice, Yasmina Siadatan

- Model and television presenter, Nell McAndrew

- A host of characters from Eastenders, past and present, including John Altman (Nasty Nick Cotton), Joe Swash (Micky Miller), Kara Tointon (Dawn Swann) and Jake Wood (Max Branning).

- TV presenters Ray Stubbs (ESPN), Brian Moore (BBC), Helen Skelton (Blue Peter), Dr Hilary Jones (GMTV) and Angellica Bell

- Joanna Page, Stacey in Gavin & Stacey

- A huge contingent from the cast of Emmerdale, running for the Leukaemia Research Banana Army

- Olympic medallists Wendy Sly, former athlete and boxer, Tony Jeffries.