Midnight, Sunday, 1 March is set as the official closing date, but at the time of writing, entries to the Bon Accord Half Marathon were nearing capacity.

In addition to the 13.1 mile event, now in its 10th year, the popular festival of running also features the Dandara 10K, the eGroup 5K and three separate children’s events for young runners aged 4–12.

Race director Graham Morrison said, “Run Garioch would like to extend a warm welcome to all the parkrunners – new and old – in our local area, especially those from Inverurie's own Ury Riverside event.

"Many of you might now be ready to take on the challenge of a different 5k, or feel the time is right to increase your distance to the 10k or the Half. As a friendly, local, springtime event, Run Garioch is the perfect place to achieve those goals.”

He added: “With race day over a month away, there’s plenty of time to train – but with entries closing on Sunday, there's not much time left to book your place!”

In common with many large events, Run Garioch 2020 has taken many steps to reduce its impact on the environment. Race organisers have removed all plastic cups and bottles from the water stations and finish lines of both the childrens’ and adult runs. The paper cups collected from the routes will be converted into pulp for use in new paper and card products; similarly, all rubbish from the routes and the event village will be recycled.

All proceeds from Run Garioch support the event’s official charities – CLAN, Charlie House, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Inspire PTL, The ARCHIE Foundation and Friends of the Neonatal Unit – other local charities, and the Garioch Sports Centre itself.

Image: Richard Strachan of JSK Running Club savouring his Dandara 10K win (courtesy Paul Douglas Pictures)