Commonwealth Baton Relay In The North East
16 April 2014, 00:00 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
The two Batonbearers have been selected to carry the Queen's Baton when it arrives in NewcastleGateshead on Friday 13th June 2014
Gateshead Council and Newcastle City Council have chosen Brendan Foster CBE and Jonathan Edwards CBE to do the honour.
Foster, who's 66 and originally from Hebburn, is a British former long-distance runner who founded the Great North Run.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Edwards, who's originally from Windsor in Berkshire, is a former British triple jumper. He is a former Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European champion, and has held the world record in the event since 1995.
The Queen's Baton will start its journey at The Angel of the North, Gateshead, where the Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Jack Graham and Mick Henry, Leader of Gateshead Council will join official Batonbearer, Brendan Foster CBE, to start the final day of the baton's tour of England.
The relay will then make its way to Gateshead International Stadium and onto Gateshead Millennium Bridge - where Brendan Foster will pass on Batonbearer duties to fellow Commonwealth Games veteran, Jonathan Edwards CBE.
Jonathan Edwards will lead the delegation to Newcastle Civic Centre, before heading to Walker Activity Dome, Newcastle.
The community sports centre provides a wide range of sporting facilities for people of all ages and abilities.
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UPDATED: 30th January 2014
The Glasgow 2014 Queen's Baton Relay will visit Newcastle, Gateshead and Alnwick before the start of the Commonwealth Games.
The baton will make its first appearance in England in Manchester on Saturday May 31st as it embarks on a two-week journey across the nation, encouraging public support for Team England and celebrating sport as it goes.
By the time of its arrival in England the baton will have visited 68 nations and territories and covered almost a third of the world's population.
The baton contains a message from the Queen to the Commonwealth that will be read out at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow Games.
Its visit to England is the last international leg of the relay before the baton reaches Scotland.
Each English venue hosting a day with the baton will organise a series of public events, to celebrate sport and rouse support for the team.
Commonwealth Games England is calling on the English public to greet the baton with messages of support to Team England via @weRengland or the Commonwealth Games England Facebook page OfficialWeAreEngland, and feel motivated to get moving and perhaps try a new sport.
At each event, there will be a small number of batonbearers, specially chosen for their contribution to sport in the local community.
More information about the batonbearers at each event will be announced in the Spring.
The Queen's Baton Relay will call at the following places on the following dates on its journey through England in 2014.
Saturday 31st May Manchester / Congleton
Sunday 1st June Sheffield
Monday 2nd June Birmingham
Tuesday 3rd June Plymouth (AM) and Bristol (PM)
Wednesday 4th June Southampton
Thursday 5th June Kent
Friday 6th June Oxford
Saturday 7th June London
Sunday 8th June London
Monday 9th June Suffolk
Tuesday 10th June Leicester
Wednesday 11th June Hull
Thursday 12th June Leeds
Friday 13th June Newcastle Gateshead (AM) and Alnwick Castle, Northumberland (PM)
