One of the highlights of the Scottish running calendar in summer 2019 was the Go Festival Ayr a half marathon, 10k and 5k fun run. The much-loved Ayrshire coastal town laid on a fabulous sunny day and with the main races starting in late afternoon it wasn't too hot.

In fact the big early September skies and a hint of breeze made for ideal conditions and runners in the 10K (including your correspondent) loved a relatively flat course, nice wide streets and fantastic support around the course – particularly at the start in the city centre and on the home stretch along the seafront.

Half marathoners reported a more undulating course but the routes were praised for lots of variety and interest. There was also a big thumbs up for the race day entertainment - the swirl of the pipe upped the adrenaline level and the impressive post-race air display and fireworks were a welcome bonus.

A great day out was the consensus with many participants promising to return in 2020. Now race organiser John Lloyd at Cannonball Events is promising a bigger and better event next year and advising runners to sign up early and take advantage of generous early bird rates until the end of November.

Lloyd, himself a crack club runner, told runABC Scotland online: "There was a great atmosphere at this year's event. The pipe bands, the early evening air display and the dramatic fireworks all helped create a real sense of occasion. We've already seen lots of entries for 2020 and I will be announcing a number of new event features soon."

The 2020 Ayr GO Festival will take place on Saturday 29 August.

FIND OUT MORE OR GRAB AN EARLY BIRD RATE AT THE EVENT WEBSITE

Image courtesy: David Kerr Photography

To find out more about the unique qualities of the Go Festival Ayr watch the 2019 event highlights here:

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