RECENT weather may suggest otherwise, but spring 2019 is finally here.

And with less than four months to go until this year’s Hexham Running Festival, on Sunday, July 14, the time has come for many to start training.

This will be my first event since last September’s Great North Run, and I must admit that the running trainers have gathered some dust since then. Apart from a last minute dash to catch the bus, I haven’t ran a stride since.

A few pounds have been piled on, and all the productive fitness work of 2018 has long been consigned to history.

There will be other people in a similar position, however, and there is much to be positive about, with more than 1,000 competitors set to descend on the Tyne Valley for the ever-growing event.

Entries opened for this year’s Hexham Running Festival at the end of February, and competitors can take on the annual Hexham Half Marathon.

For occasional runners like myself, the shorter Hexham 10k provides an appealing alternative. Both routes will enable runners to breathe in the sights and sounds of Hexham’s historic town centre, where they will be cheered on by crowds of spectators.

What’s more, the day is set to include live music, a barbecue, and children’s attractions, as the event, which changed its name to Hexham Running Festival last year, celebrates its fourth anniversary.

The event will be supported by Egger UK and Achilles Physio, and will raise money for the Chronicle Sunshine Fund, which works to improve the lives of children with disabilities. It is being organised by Greg Urwin, the Tynedale Harrier who was keen to create a significant challenge for runners in his home town.

My training programme will get under way next week, and there is no time to delay.

Running at the age of 36 will require more planning than it did a decade ago. But I’ll start at two miles, and gradually build up the distance, while hoping to avoid the calf strains which hampered my regime last year. For more information visit hexhamrunningfestival.com.