Members of Teesdale AC will join tens of thousands of runners at the event, which takes place on Sunday, September 10.
For a number of the dale athletes, it will be their first half marathon and several are graduates of the club’s Couch to 5k programme to helpimprove people’s fitness.
Trudy Layton is one of those tackling her first half marathon – and her preparations have been anything but straightforward.
Training was going well – she was up to nine miles – until a freak injury to her neck in April set her back.
Then in June the 50-year-old was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.
“I am struggling with that but I am determined to do it,” said Ms Layton.
“I am hoping to run all the way – I will give it my best shot.”
She will have her daughter Ellie, who lives in Gateshead, running alongside her in support.
“I am dreading it but can’t wait to see how I get on. I would like to think I could do it in two-and-three-quarters to three hours.”
At 68, Astley Fenwick, of Stainton village, will be the club’s oldest athlete in the Great North Run. He said he was inspired to have a go by the exploits of his older brother John.
“He did an ultra marathon for his 70th birthday,” he said.
Mr Fenwick completed the Couch to 5k in 2015 and completed his first ten miler in August.
He will be joined by wife Mim, who thought she would never run again after contracting meningitis four years ago.
“I have always loved running,” she said.
Having clocked up ten miles in two-and-a-half hours, Mrs Fenwick is aiming to finish the Great North Run in somewhere between three and four.
Another husband and wife team taking part are Amanda and Simon Pettitt, also from Stainton.
“The training has been going slowly, but I am getting there,” said Mrs Pettitt, 52.
“I had an injury when I fell while running and twisted my ankle. I will do it though and hope it will be in less than three hours.”
Lauren Blackett, 28, from Barnard Castle, admits she doesn’t really like running – but having graduated from Couch to 5k found it quite addictive, to the point where she says she is “quite looking forward” to tackling the Great North Run.
“Training has been going well. I am hoping to do it in two hours 45 minutes,” she said.
Mum-of-three Clare Dickson, 30, who is studying business management at Sunderland University, completed last year’s Great North Run and is back for another crack at it.
“It was a great atmosphere,” she said.
Dave Palmer, 63, from Startforth agrees. He will tackle his 17th Great North Run this year.
“It is just such a fantastic atmosphere when you get 50,000 people wanting to raise some money for charity,” he said.
“It really is inspirational and you think you have just got to come back and do it again.”
Jim Gill, 41, from Selaby, is hoping to knock 20 minutes off his time of two hours 20 minutes from last year.
A year ago, Emma Ford, 36, from Barnard Castle, was just about to sign up for the Couch to 5k programme.
This September, she will take her place on the Great North Run start line.
“I had been ill and was on the mend, so I decided to do the Couch to 5k for the health benefits.”
Both Ms Ford and Mr Gill will run in support of the British Porphyria Association, raising money for education and research into the genetic condition.
Among the other charities being supported by the Teesdale athletes are Macmillan, Scope, Crohn's and Colitis UK, British Heart Foundation and the Northern Counties Kidney Research Fund.
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