[2] In 2002 the sponsor pulled out and finance for safety precautions became a serious issue for the host club Morpeth Harriers.
The race was moved away from its traditional New Year's Day slot to the second Sunday in January.
Ultimately the race was cancelled in 2005 and 2006 as safety issues could not be resolved with the local authorities.
At present, Morpeth Harriers host an 11k road race on New Year's Day in which there are over 100 competitors.
[4] North-East based athlete Jim Alder who represented Scotland in the 1966 Kingston Commonwealth Games and won a Gold medal in the marathon has also claimed five victories in this event.