A DALE athlete is keeping his fingers crossed that serious injury will not prevent him lining up for his 20th Great North Run.
Dave Palmer, from Startforth, tore a hamstring two weeks ago, but is hoping to be fit enough for Sunday’s event.
“I have not done anything since tearing my hamstring. The advice I have been given is not to do any more training, leave it until the day before and see how it is before I take a chance, so that’s what I will have to do.”
Mr Palmer, 67, has a best time of 1hr 46mins, but said: “I won’t be going for a good time, that's for sure, having missed all the big training sessions.
“But I am still hoping to take part – 19 Great North Runs is alright, but 20 sounds better.”
Mr Palmer said he was not the most sporty of youngsters and did not take part in his first Great North Run until the age of 44.
“I did my cruciate ligament playing a bit of five-a-side football. It was after I recovered from the knee surgery that I decided to do it. I was only going to do one,” he said.
“At the time I was living in Essex with my wife Cathy and it became a bit of a pilgrimage back to the North East and then we moved back five years ago.
“I did six Great North Runs in a row, then had a knee injury that sidelined me for two years, and then did another 13 straight.”
