Weir wins wheelchair race at Great North Run in course record

DOUBLE Paralympic gold medallist David Weir smashed his own course record on the way to claiming the men's wheelchair race at the Great North Run.

FOCUSSED: David Weir was in sensational form on his way to a second Great North Run title

Weir - 800m and 1500m champion in Beijing - broke clear with 2008 champion Josh Cassidy, with the Canadian leading at the halfway stage.

But 30-year-old Weir overhauled Cassidy in the second half of the race to cross the line 59 seconds ahead of his previous record in 41:34 minutes. 

Cassidy clocked 42:12 in second while France's Denis Lemeunier completed the podium. 

"I wanted to go under 45 minutes but from the start I could see it was going to be a quick race," said Weir. 

"Sometimes it's tough to be out on your own but I made a break from the field before a hill and then pushed again on the hill. 

"I have been concentrating on the road more this year and I wanted to do well at the back end of the season. 

"I really wanted to win today and then hopefully again at the New York Marathon in November."

Meanwhile, Paralympic gold medallist and London Marathon champion Amanda McCrory won the women's wheelchair race.

McCrory stormed to victory in 49:47, knocking 17 seconds off Great Britain's Shelly Woods' course record.  

Paralympic silver medallist Woods is twice a winner in the north-east but opted to compete in the Berlin Marathon this time round, where she finished second.