Queues in South Shields were reportedly more than a mile long
Runners who took part in the Great North Run said they had to walk home after torrential downpours caused major disruption to public transport.
Flash flooding hit roads and the Tyne and Wear Metro as the 42nd race came to an end on Sunday afternoon.
Thousands of participants and spectators were caught in large queues in South Shields while services were suspended.
Metro operator, Nexus, said it worked with authorities to restore services.
Heavy rain meant the South Shields bus and Metro interchange became flooded inside, prompting lifts and escalators to break down.
Rail services were stopped between Bede and South Shields for more than an hour after flooding on the line at Tyne Dock.
More than 60,000 people took part in this year’s Great North Run
The Metro station in South Shields then had to temporarily close while water was cleared from the tracks, reportedly causing queues of more than a mile.
On social media, many runners said they had been unable to complete their journey home, with one person saying they had to walk seven miles to their car.
However by about 20:30 BST, Nexus said all services had been restored, but with some knock-on delays.
By Monday morning, the service was back to normal.
Some passengers decided to use the Shields Ferry to cross into North Tyneside
It came as a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms and heavy rain for the region had been issued by the Met Office.
Nexus praised customers and thanked them for their patience as staff, volunteers and the authorities worked to restore services.
Customer services director, Huw Lewis told BBC Radio Newcastle that it planned for “lots of things” for the Great North Run, including having extra teams on standby, but “we could not have imagined this”.
“My heart goes out to the runners and I can only say sorry for the delay, my heart goes out to the people left waiting but we did everything possible, and we did get everybody home,” he said.
Image source, Nexus
The South Shields interchange became flooded after the downpour
The race marked Mo Farah’s last race as a professional athlete, finishing in fourth place, while thousands took part to raise funds for their chosen charities.
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