The Great North Run was started by former Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster. He was inspired to create the event after participating in New Zealand's Round the Bays Race in 1979. Foster helped organize a local fun run in Gateshead in 1977, which paved the way for the Great North Run. The first Great North Run took place on June 28, 1981, with over 12,000 runners participating, running from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields in North East England