Many of the runners are in fancy dress and colourful wigs

The half-marathon has become the biggest of its kind in the world, with fun runners and top athletes taking part in the 13 mile race from Newcastle city centre to South Shields in South Tyneside.

Paula Radcliffe set a new world best for the distance as she destroyed the opposition with a sensational run to take the women's race.

Her time of one hour, five minutes and 40 seconds was over a minute inside the previous record.

Afterwards Ms Radcliffe, from Bedford, said it was too early to know if she would be taking part in the race in 2004.

South Africa's Hendrick Ramaala beat Kenya's Jackson Koech to take the men's title for the second time in 59 minutes and 59 seconds.

Strong field

As well as athletes, fun runners have been sponsored to take part and raise cash for a number of charities, including cancer research, other health organisations, children's causes, overseas development and famine relief.

Many of the runners were attired in fancy dress and colourful wigs, and it is estimated that their efforts will raise close to �10m.

Gunilla Wallengren finished just outside 48 minutes to take the women's wheelchair race for the third year in a row, and David Weir took the men's wheelchair race.

Alastair Campbell, who also ran the London Marathon this year, took part to raise money for research into leukaemia.

Mr Campbell completed the course in one hour 41 minutes.

At the finishing line he said: "I found it tough, really tough. It felt pretty uphill all the way to me but the atmosphere was brilliant and the people are amazing."

Celebrities running included the actress Brenda Blethyn, chef Gordon Ramsay, sports minister Richard Caborn, and former jockey Richard Dunwoody.

One of those taking part was Jane Tomlinson, a 39-year-old mother-of-three from Rothwell, Leeds, who has terminal cancer.

She finished the half-marathon in one hour 49 minutes, knocking two minutes off her 2002 time.

Former spin-doctor Alastair Campbell is taking part

Already this year she has completed the London Triathlon, the London Marathon and cycled from John o' Groats to Land's End on a tandem bike, raising nearly �250,000 for cancer charities.

This morning's race started at 1010 BST with the elite wheelchair event.

The women's elite race got under way at 1015 BST and the elite men and mass of fun runners started at 1020 BST.

The event was founded by North East athlete Brendan Foster, through his company Nova International.

David Hart, the company's marketing director said the involvement of the celebrity runners helps to raise vital funds for community projects.