It was time to complete the circle. Having been born and raised in Wallsend, Newcastle, Sonia Samuels has had a lifelong relationship with the Great North Run. She vividly remembers being taken down to the start line by her father as a young girl to have her Liz McColgan poster signed by the former 10,000m world champion herself.
There followed two victories for the then aspiring teenager in the Junior race during the mid-90s, providing the strongest of hints at the lengthy international sporting career which would unfold and take in appearances at the Commonwealth Games, European Championships, World Championships and, ultimately, the Olympics.
Despite Samuels having raced in all corners of the globe, however, one significant box had remained unticked – until last month.
“A few years back, I…