THE biggest sporting weekend in the North-East kicked off this morning when celebrity chef and campaigner Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall fired the starting gun before running the Simplyhealth Great North 5k.

The 5k is followed by the Simplyhealth Junior and Mini Great North Run, the UK’s biggest children’s running event.

The Northern Echo: Youngsters tackle the Mini Great North Run today. Picture: NORTH NEWS

Star athletes competing in Sunday’s Simplyhealth Great North Run will set over 6,500 young runners, budding athletes and school friends on their way around the 1.5k and 4k courses.

Also today, some of Great Britain’s best athletes including Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Jonnie Peacock will be competing at the Great North CityGames, a live, televised athletics event in a pop-up arena on the Newcastle and Gateshead quayside.