UP to 700 athletes will be under starter’s orders for the Hexham Running Festival on Sunday.

The feature race of the day’s programme will be the third Hexham Half Marathon which has the backdrop of Hexham Abbey at the start line of a route which takes in the countryside around Corbridge and Anick.

It is an arduous course, taking in a tough incline at Sandhoe Hill. Race organisers have pledged to return entry fees to anyone who records a personal best in the race which sets off at 9am.

In stark contrast, the 10k race starting 30 minutes earlier, is relatively level and destined to produce a glut of PBs.

Later in the date, 5k runners will set off from outside the Egger factor at 12.30pm.

Local athlete Greg Urwin is race director, who devised the route to show off the best of the area’s countryside.

He joined Tynedale Harriers at the age of 11, and had Olympic hopes after winning the 800m at the national senior championships held in Glasgow in 2012.

But a serious injury ruled him out of the Olympic trials later that year and a place in the GB team at the London Games.

“Because Hexham was my home town and main training area, I wanted to encourage others to run and witness the fantastic routes you can do in the area,” said Greg, a technology teacher at Cramlington Learning Village.

“I wanted to bring something to the area and give back to a town that has supported me through my ups and downs as an athlete.

“There was no major run in Hexham, so I launched the Hexham Half Marathon three years ago.”

The running festival will involve some full road closures on Sundaymorning.

Beaumont Street and Hallgate will be closed betwen 8am and 9am to accommodate all the runners at the start.

Also closed for the hour will be the road in and out of Hexham from the A69 roundabout, to allow runners to head past Egger towards Corbridge and Anick.

The festival will raise funds for the Hexham Abbey roof appeal.