The design behind Mul’s 2026 Great North Run medal

A medal may seem like a small object, but the 2026 Great North Run medal says a great deal about who gets to shape the image of a national event. As founder Sir Brendan Foster stated, “The Great North Run is about regional pride, ordinary people doing extraordinary things and about our shared love of the region”.

This year, Newcastle street artist Mul (otherwise known as Alex Mulholland) created a medal design featuring his trademark Running Heart character. This design has become integral to the graphic identity of the 2026 Great North Run. Mul's design also depicted the iconic Tyne Bridge landmark on a black background; a modest composition that takes on the task of portraying the city.

Mul explained that "this year’s medal represents the beating hearts of everyone taking part in the 45^th edition of the Great North Run. It’s been a privilege to put my own spin on the iconic Tyne Bridge, a landmark that has become synonymous with this legendary event.”

The Great North Run is broadcast and followed far beyond the North East, yet its appeal rests on local identity. Involving a local designer helps to reinforce and restate this identity. It gives national audiences an authentic image of the place and its internal culture.

A local artist is better placed to understand the region's traditions and identity, making the design more meaningful to the local community. It also avoids last year's mistake, when the Great North Run finisher's medal and T-shirts incorrectly featured the River Wear instead of the Tyne.

The importance of this local understanding is clear in the 2026 medal. Mul's work is already a familiar part of Newcastle, so the running heart gave runners a symbol the city had already embraced. His local reputation also gave the event greater credibility while bringing his work to a national audience.

Mul’s medal shows that a national event does not need to lose its local identity to have wide appeal. When shaped by a regional artist, the medal allows thousands of finishers to take home a small piece of Tyneside that feels meaningful to both them and the local community.