The widow of a Red Arrows pilot killed in a display last month helped start the Great North Run today.

Dr Emma Egging watched silently as the Red Arrows flew over the start line in the "missing man" formation, in honour of her late husband Jon.

She joined more than 54,000 people competing in the famous half-marathon between Newcastle and South Shields, and ran with the number 4 on her back in a tribute to her husband who flew as "Red 4".

She stood on the starters' podium with world 5,000m champion Mo Farah who was acting as honorary starter.

Just before he fired the starting pistol, the formation of Hawk jets flew overhead, trailing coloured smoke.

Flt Lt Egging was killed when his Hawk jet came down near Bournemouth Airport in Dorset.

Dr Egging, an academic at the British Museum, will use the run to launch The Jon Egging Trust to support youngsters and help them fulfil their potential.

She and her 33-year-old husband used to run together.

Dr Egging asked to be left alone to prepare for the race today.

She told the BBC yesterday: "It's going to be tough but I am up for the challenge and Jon would have wanted me to be here...it's been tough, you know.

"But running was something we did together and enjoyed doing.

"It's something that's going to help me in the next few months time to come to go on and get the strength to work in Jon's name and to do everything he would have wanted us to do."

The course runs from Spital Tongues, in Newcastle, to South Shields over 13.1 miles.

Professional athletes including British light heavyweight boxer Tony Jeffries, and celebrities including newsreader Sophie Raworth, EastEnders favourites Charlie Brooks and Neil McDermott, and models Nell McAndrew and Sophie Gradon, as well as amateurs, were taking part.