Some of our best decisions are the ones we make under pressure. And that’s exactly what you need to do if you fancy running in one of the Sunderland City Runs which will take place this weekend. You see, entries close at midnight tonight!

The first Sunderland city 10K was held in 2011 with just over 1500 taking part. 10 years later the Sunderland City Runs will welcome 5000 participants to the city streets in a celebration of running across a range of distances. You can choose the 10th anniversary 10K,  the stunning Half Marathon, the Northern Spire 5K or the Big 3K. There is something for everyone. So why not make a snap decision and embrace a return to racing after what has been quite a year?

The events race through the city and along the sea front, with two of its famous bridges providing a stunning backdrop to all four distances. No matter if you’re a first-timer or an experienced runner, the course and atmosphere are conducive to fast times as well as a lot of fun.

Dan Woodgate will be running at the weekend and is an ambassador for the 10K event, he’s excited about his big day: “My first major race was in May 2018, it was the Sunderland 10K. My wife and children joined my Mam to cheer me over the finish line. The atmosphere, the goodie bag, the medal and the feeling of success had me hooked.

“Five months later I completed the first of my three marathons. I was about to travel to Barcelona for my fourth when we were hit with the pandemic. Lockdown was a struggle for me – I found it difficult to motivate myself to run and subsequently gained weight. However, the future is looking bright and I’m grateful to Events of the North for the opportunity to rekindle that running feeling. I’ll be toeing the line on 20 June and I hope you can join me.”

Mindful that the second day of racing falls on Father’s Day organisers have decided to give runners the chance to celebrate their very own VIP Dad by entering a special competition. All you need to do is enter one of the Sunderland City Run events and input the promo code VIPDAD, then say in a couple of sentences why your dad (or mum…or even you) deserve to be a VIP for the day!

There are a host of VIP treatments in store for the winner, including a special car parking space close to the start reserved for you, lunch for four, a £50 Bridges gift card, last minute training tips from British International athletes Aly Dixon and Matty Hynes, a special commemorative frame to showcase your medal and a free entry to Sunderland City Run 2022.

To enter one of the events (by midnight tonight) visit the event website.

Image: Events of the North.