"This is a race I have always wanted to compete in and I'm really looking forward to running as it has a worldwide reputation for not only the quality but also the fantastic size of the field, " added Gebrselassie.

BBC: Haile Gebrselassie to make Great North Run debut

Belinda Beale, a parent with two children at the school, said regardless of its size the small school provides "a fantastic education".

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Fears of a German invasion of New York were improbable, if not utterly fantastic, but in a pre-nuclear weapon, pre-smart weapon age, the size of a navy really mattered.

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