ORGANISERS of an iconic race in Tavistock hope they will see the runners of the future in action when the event returns for the first time in two years on Sunday.

The Tavy 13 was put on hold following its last outing in 2019 as Covid-19 restrictions started to bite.

But the 13.1 mile event is set to attract hundreds of runners on its return, including up to 500 primary schoolchildren from the Tavistock area.

Race director Richard Nettleship said the youngsters had done 12.1 miles of the race at their school in stages and would complete the final mile on Sunday.

He said: ‘It will be great because they will get a medal and be part of the whole atmosphere. They’re from schools all around the area who have shown an interest.

‘Hopefully, being part of something like this will encourage them to be the runners of the future. They’ll be starting their race and finishing it at our running track, which has great spectator facilities, so they will be part of that.

‘It might be that it encourages a love of sport and being outdoors, or it might encourage them to become members of Tavistock Athletics Club.’

Nettleship said the number of entries for the race was pleasing, although there were still spaces available for last-minute entries.

He said: ‘It’s been good to see the number of people coming back. We appreciate that there might still be runners who are worried about taking part in a race because of the concerns over Covid-19, but we have done everything in our power to make sure everyone is safe.’

The first half of the 13.1 mile course is undulating, but last five miles are relatively flat and downhill. After coming back into town through the Meadows park, the final mile is completed at the athletics track.

Go to http://www.tavistock athletics.co.uk/events/tavy-13/ for more.