Organisers of the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run today announced the addition of a brand new 5k course for October 2011.

Runners celebrate after the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run 2010

The event will become part of a “Great Day of Running”, taking place in Edinburgh city centre on 2 October 2011.  The inaugural 5k will take place ahead of the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run, an already well-established event on the city’s sporting calendar.

The gentle 5k course is perfect for runners of all abilities and takes in some of Edinburgh’s most iconic landmarks, including the Scott Monument, Holyrood Palace and the National Art Gallery.  The event offers beginners – or those returning to distance running – the opportunity to experience a competitive road race in the heart of one of the UK’s most picturesque cities.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, Festivals and Events Champion for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We want to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in sport, which is why the inclusion of the new 5k route is so important, it gives everyone – residents and visitors alike – the opportunity to experience the thrill of taking part. We’re proud to know this event takes place against what must be one of the most spectacular sporting-event backdrops in the world.”

Building on the from the success of the Bupa Great Winter Run and Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country earlier this year, EventScotland, the national events agency, are supporting the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run which will be a marquee event on the calendar in the year of Active Scotland.

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer for EventScotland, said: “The new 5km event is a welcome addition to the Bupa Great Edinburgh run. In the year of Active Scotland we continue to support this city-centre event and the stage is set for a great day of running in Scotland’s capital city – a proven world-class destination for running events for both elite and amateur participants.”

More than 10,000 people took part in the 2010 10k Bupa Great Edinburgh Run and Bupa Junior and Mini Great Edinburgh Run last year. Organisers feel the addition of a 5k course will make the appeal of the day even wider and reinforce the reputation of the Great Edinburgh Run as one of Scotland’s premiere mass participation sporting events.

The Great Edinburgh Run is televised live on Channel 5 and will also be the subject of a one hour highlights programme on BBC Scotland.

Entries for all events are open at www.greatrun.org

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