Gebrselassie in North Run win

The 37-year-old Ethiopian, the marathon world-record holder and twice Olympic 10,000m champion, who was competing in the North East half-marathon event for the first time, broke away at the halfway point to claim victory well ahead of Kenya's Kiplimo Kimutai.

In the women's race, Mara Yamauchi's bid to become the first British winner since Paula Radcliffe in 2003 ended in disappointment as she could only finish fifth behind another Ethiopian, Berhane Adere.

Gebrselassie won the 30th edition of the event in 59 minutes 33 seconds, outside the course record of 59mins 5secs but a comfortable 1:50 ahead of Kimutai. Morocco's Jaouad Gharib was third.

Gebrselassie, who has set 26 world records in his career and is rated the greatest distance runner of all time, felt he could have gone faster had he been pushed.

"I was wonderful," said the four-time world 10,000m champion, who had been due to compete in the Great North Run in 2000 but had to pull out through injury.

"I needed someone to keep the pace until the last two kilometres and then it would have been perhaps a bit faster.

"It was a great win, this is something very special."

Gebrselassie's victory sealed an Ethiopian double following Adere's victory.

Phil Hoole was the first Yorkshire runner in 26th place in a time of 68:32 while his Rotherham colleague Jenny Blizard was first Yorkshire woman in 17th place with 79:07.

In the BUPA Great North City Games on Saturday, England beat Australia helped by a win from pole vaulter Luke Cutts (Dearnside).

Cutts, preparing for the Commonwealth Games, took the scalp of Steve Hooker, the Australian World and Olympic Champion. Cutts cleared 5.20m for victory.