Birthday Honours 2020
Brendan Foster
Knight Bachelor
Founder
Knight Bachelor · 2020
“For services to International and National Sport and to Culture in North East England.”
Commander of the Order of the British Empire · 2008
“Founder, Great North Run. For services to Sport.”
Timeline
Knight Bachelor
For services to International and National Sport and to Culture in North East England.
View London Gazette notice ↗Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Founder, Great North Run. For services to Sport.
View the London Gazette page ↗Explore by field
Explore other people honoured in this field
Wikipedia
London Gazette notice
Knights Bachelor
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
St. James’s Palace, London SW1
10 October 2020
THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the Celebration of Her Majesty’s Birthday, to signify her intention of conferring the honour of Knighthood upon the undermentioned:
Brendan FOSTER C.B.E.
For services to International and National Sport and to Culture in North East England.
Source: The London Gazette, issue 63135 · Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0
Location
See other people honoured from Northumberland →
Location comes from the Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list, not the Gazette notice, and isn’t available for every honour.
In context
Each honour in context
Role, region and citation as recorded for each award.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
New Year Honours 2008- Role at the time
- Founder
- Region
- Northumberland
“Founder, Great North Run. For services to Sport.”
Knight Bachelor
Birthday Honours 2020- Region
- Stocksfield, Northumberland
“For services to International and National Sport and to Culture in North East England.”
Mark the occasion
Commemorate Brendan's honour
Celebrate this recognition with a keepsake worthy of the achievement - free to share, beautifully made to keep.
Birthday Honours 2020
Brendan Foster
Knight Bachelor
“For services to International and National Sport and to Culture in North East England.”
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Birthday Honours 2020
Brendan Foster
Knight Bachelor
“For services to International and National Sport and to Culture in North East England.”
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Birthday Honours 2020
Brendan Foster
Knight Bachelor
“For services to International and National Sport and to Culture in North East England.”
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In context
The bigger picture
How common is this award?
The Knight Bachelor was awarded 15 times in the Birthday Honours List 2020 — about 1% of the list.
In their area
2 Knight Bachelor recipients are from Northumberland.
How widely is this recognised?
2,173 people have been recognised for Sport & Recreation.
Counts reflect the 2000–2026 honours lists in our records; earlier years are not yet included.
Honoured alongside them
Others awarded the Knight Bachelor in the Birthday Honours 2020
Andrew Mackenzie
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
“For services to Business, Science, Technology and to UK/Australia relations.”
Anthony Gallagher
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
“For services to Land Development and to the Property Business.”
David Hanson
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
Flint, Clwyd
“For political service.”
David Suchet
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
London, Greater London
“For services to Drama and to Charity.”
Donald Runnicles
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
“For services to Music.”
Edward Byrne
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
London, Greater London
“For services to Higher Education.”
Geoffrey Mulgan
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
Luton, Bedfordshire
“For services to the Creative Economy.”
John Sambles
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
Crediton, Devon
“For services to Scientific Research and Outreach.”
Nasser Khalili
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
London, Greater London
“For services to Inter-Faith relations and to Charity.”
Nicholas Dakin
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
“For political service.”
Paul Carter
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
Maidstone, Kent
“For services to Local Government.”
Professor Stephen Holgate
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
Romsey, Hampshire
“For services to Medical Research.”
Richard Bowling
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
London, Greater London
“For services to Art.”
Thomas Hicks (tommy Steele)
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2020
London, Greater London
“For services to Entertainment and to Charity.”
In the same field
Others recognised for Sport & Recreation
Across the 2000–2026 honours lists in our records, 2,173 people have been recognised for Sport & Recreation. See the full list →
Kevin Sinfield
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2026
Oldham, Greater Manchester
“For services to Rugby League, Rugby Union and the MND Community.”
Nigel Travis
PersonMember Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Manchester, Greater Manchester
“For services to Boxing and the community in Moss Side, Greater Manchester.”
David Dein
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Football and to Charity.”
Gabrielle Logan
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Buckinghamshire
“For services to Sports Broadcasting and to Charity.”
Emily Scarratt
PersonOfficer Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Coalville, Leicestershire
“For services to Rugby Union.”
Leah Williamson
PersonCommander Of The Order Of The British Empire · 2026
St Albans, Hertfordshire
“For services to Association Football.”
Johanna Norman
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Swimming in Guernsey.”
Raymond Pritchard
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
“For services to Sport, to Tourism and to UK/Switzerland Relations.”
John Wright
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Solihull, West Midlands
“For services to Cricket in Warwickshire and the West Midlands.”
David Workman
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Ballynahinch, County Down
“For services to Rugby and to Community Relations in Ballynahinch.”
Kim Watson
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Colchester, Essex
“For services to Grassroots Netball in East Anglia.”
Alan Thurlow
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Swimming.”
Steven Thompson
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Liverpool, Merseyside
“For services to Rugby Union Football and to the community in Crosby, Merseyside.”
Jennifer Smyth
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Londonderry, County Borough of Londonderry
“For services to Disability Sport.”
David Smallwoods
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Londonderry, County Borough of Londonderry
“For services to Local Football.”
Scott Rogers
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Saint Helens, Merseyside
“For services to Disability Sport.”
Alan Parker
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
“For voluntary services to Rugby League Football and to the community in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire.”
James Mcdonald
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Junior Athletics.”
Jason Land
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Grimsby, Lincolnshire
“For services to Association Football.”
Lynn Hay
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
London, Greater London
“For services to Amateur Sport in London.”
Leslie France
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Blackpool, Lancashire
“For services to Swimming and to the community in Wigan.”
Linda Gaine
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Colchester, Essex
“For services to Grassroots Netball in East Anglia.”
Sarah Edwards
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Barnham, West Sussex
“Department for Work and Pensions. For services to Grassroots Sports.”
George Dodd
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Carlisle, Cumbria
“For services to Rowing.”
Source & provenance
Where this record comes from
Knight Bachelor · 2020
London Gazette (official record), issue 63135, notice 3645509. View the official notice ↗
Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list (Birthday Honours List 2020).
Published 9 October 2020.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire · 2008
London Gazette (official record), published supplement. View the issue ↗
Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list (New Year Honours List 2008).
Published 1 January 2008.
Location (Northumberland) comes from the Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list, not the Gazette notice, which records no recipient home location.
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