The prime minister said he was “very happy” with his finish time of under two hours – 01.57 – and was raising money for North East charity Changing Lives, which he visited last month to launch a national drive to end rough sleeping.
“You see the causes people are running for, all pulling together for the bigger cause,” Burnham said. “It’s just a day that reminds you how good this country is when it’s together like this.
“This part of the world, it doesn’t half shine on a day like this. The warmth of the people comes out – the people in the race with you, the people on the sidelines.”
As always, runners donned a variety of costumes in the bid to raise funds for good causes. Among them were nuns, horses and a pair of ovaries.