By James Cracknell Published: 7:00AM BST 25 Jul 2009  The Great North Run is the world's biggest half marathon.  Imagine Bruce Springsteen turning up to headline Glastonbury and getting the date wrong. Inspired as he may be by the Somerset countryside, I'm guessing his performance would lack some of the energy for which he is renowned. Alternatively, if he dropped in and did a set in your front room, it might make you feel like retail billionaire Philip Green (who hired Beyoncé to perform at his son's bar mitzvah), but the atmosphere would probably be a little flat.  In other words, crowds make a difference. You laugh more watching comedy wwith a group of friends than on your own, and play better at a concert with thousands of people watching you. The same applies to mass-participation sporting events and, with a crowd of 75,000 and a world-record entry of 52,000 people for last year's Great North Run, that's one huge atmosphere generator. The hordes of competitors inspire each other to run farther, harder and perhaps faster, while having lots of fun. Running solo can be therapeutic, but I prefer being surrounded by like-minded people and, at the Great North Run, there's tens of thousands of them.  So what does the course have in store? The first mile isn't the most picturesque, as runners pour through Newcastle down both sides of the dual carriageway. My memory of those first few minutes is watching the elite men fly off into the distance and muttering, "They'll never keep that up."  Less than two miles later, the Tyne Bridge hoves into view and, if you have timed your run perfectly, the Red Arrows will thunder overhead as you cross the river into Gateshead. As the runners start to spread out, the course turns east towards Southport and the sea. The crowds also dwindle at this point, but what they lack in number they make up for in noise and commitment, especially the couple of lads who may once again be enthusiastically "cooling down" hot runners with their garden hose.  The road undulates for much of the next eight miles and, like Escher's drawing of the building with the never-ending staircase, seems to go on forever. It was around this point that, having doubted the elite runners could keep up their ridiculous pace, I realised (unsurprisingly) that it was me who had got the pacing wrong.  When the shouts from the crowd change from "You're doing really well", to "Keep going", and then "Don't stop!" you know you are in trouble. I had set myself the target of running one hour 20 minutes, which I knew was going to be a tough target, but at this point I also knew it wasn't going to happen.  As I was disappearing into my own private hell of exhaustion, lactic acid and disobedient legs, I suddenly had company. A band at 11½ miles were cranking out the tunes and the vociferous crowd began to swell. Half a mile later comes the welcoming sight of the sea, quickly followed by a steep descent and a sharp left-hand turn onto the coastal road and the finish. It is the sense of euphoria at the end that makes mass events like this so special.  It may also explain why, against my better judgment, I will be running the Great North Run again this year. Only this time around, I am gearing my training up a step. In fact, I am signing up to a 12-week training programme with Bupa. This will give me an initial health check and gait analysis, advice from a nutritionist on optimising my diet, and a session with a psychologist on positive mental attitude. And if that doesn't get me going, nothing will.  Every entrant needs a well-structured training programme and a goal to aim for, but if you are a celebrity then announcing your participation creates even more pressure. There is a great tradition of celebrity runners lining up in Newcastle and this year the eclectic mix includes a former cabinet minister (Richard Caborn), model (the wing-heeled Nell McAndrew) and X-Factor presenter (Dermot O'Leary), and even the Daily Telegraph's own Brian Moore is rumoured to be snarling his way around.  Famous or not, when the starter gun sounds, every runner will have a target in sight, be it raising money for charity, simply finishing, or hitting a personal best. I shall, as before, be hoping to dip in under one hour 20 minutes but, if I don't manage it, I can always go back and try again next year.
Olympic rower James Cracknell is ready to take to the streets for another tilt at the Great North Run.