ANTICIPATION is building ahead of two related running events this weekend.

The Run Northumberland Half Marathon and the Run Northumberland Big 20 Miler will take place on Sunday.

Having previously been run on roads around Kirkley Hall, near Ponteland, the two races have been moved to a new location.

This time around, they will adopt the tried and tested tracks used for Tynedale Harriers’ successful Jelly Tea 10-mile race and Tynedale 10K races, starting in Ovingham.

Organisers Run Northumberland said a bigger venue was needed, especially with a record number of up to 1,000 runners expected to compete overall on the day.

The two races will set off together but competitors will have different colour bib numbers to designate which route they should take.

The races will be used by many runners as preparation for the London Marathon, set to take place on Sunday, April 26.

There will also be many charity runners, who are expected to raise thousands of pounds for worthy causes both locally and further afield.

More information about the races, the routes and scheduled road closures can be found at runnation.co.uk