Brendan Foster
Athletics competitor, long distance runner
Sir Brendan Foster CBE (born 12 January 1948)[1] is a British former long-distance runner, athletics commentator and road race organiser.
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Brendan_Foster_1972.jpg/200px-Brendan_Foster_1972.jpg)
He founded the Great North Run, one of the sport's most high profile half-marathon races. Foster was born in Hebburn, South Tyneside.
As an athlete, he won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and the gold medal in the 5,000 metres at the 1974 European Championships and the 10,000 metres at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.