ONE thousand two hundred runners are expected to line up for the annual Abingdon Marathon tomorrow.

The 26.2-mile challenge will take them from Tilsley Park to Dunmore Road and Twelve Acre Drive, into the town centre and through the villages of Drayton, Milton, and Sutton Courtenay. They will come back to Tilsley Park to finish in front of the grandstand.

Entries for this year’s race sold out in a month, with 100 more runners than last year registered.

Gary Richards, who has directed the Abingdon Marathon since 2005, said he expected 900 participants to cross the finish line.

He added: “There’s definitely a mini-boom in marathon running. People run races and others think if someone has done it, they can too.

“The course is almost as flat as you can get. There are a couple of inclines, but nothing you could call a hill. There should be some good times. We get lots of personal bests, usually by quite a few minutes.

“It’s a good atmosphere and the crowd really gets behind the runners.”

The marathon is organised by volunteers across Oxfordshire. With 170 of them needed on the day of the race, including 100 marshals, the most challenging aspect of organising the event is finding enough helping hands, Mr Richards said. Now that enough people have agreed to help, he hopes for good weather.

He said: “It makes up probably 50 per cent of the success of a race. If you have dry weather, you’re guaranteed it will be a success. But if it rains, that’s where any race gets problems. The volunteers get wet and miserable and might not stay for the required duration.”

Road closures will be in place to make room for the runners’ route. Sections of Dunmore Road, Twelve Acre Drive and Radley Road will be closed from 8.30am to 9.30am. Closures will continue in Dunmore Road from the B4017 Wootton Road eastwards to Tilsley Park between 11am and 2pm.

There will be alternative routes for traffic. Car parking will be available from 7m at Abingdon and Witney College and at Dunmore Court, both a 10-15 minute walk away from the start of the race.

Spectators willing to cheer on the participants should position themselves along Lambrick Way and Wilsham Road, where the runners will pass twice. They are advised to not drive through the town centre and instead go through the ring road and take the A415 and Drayton Road.