ORGANISERS of the 40th anniversary Bath Half Marathon today announced that this year’s race has been rescheduled to Sunday, May 29 with the agreement of Bath & North East Somerset Council to take into account pressures on the highways network.

The 2021 Bath Half Marathon originally scheduled for March 2021 was postponed to September last year due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. It was subsequently postponed again from September 2021 to Sunday, March 13 2022.

The event annually attracts more than 10,000 runners, some of them top-class professional athletes who use the event as a ‘warm up’ for the London Marathon in April.

Andrew Taylor, the Bath Half Marathon Race Director for organisers Running High Events, said: “We know our runners and charity partners want certainty especially after the event has been postponed twice already due to circumstances beyond our control.

“But we are all now moving forward after two very challenging years due to Covid. Working with the council and taking into account pressures on the highways network we can confirm May 29 for this year’s Bath Half.

“We will be emailing registered entrants today with details of their deferment and refund options, and also to offer registered entrants who are unable to attend on May 29 the option to complete the half marathon distance virtually in their own time on a course of their own choice and to be posted their finishers’ medal and T-shirt.

“We will also notify our charity partners, commercial partners, contractors and volunteer groups about arrangements for the new event date on May 29.”

Cllr Dine Romero, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture, Bath & North East Somerset, said: “Bath & North East Somerset Council recognises the significant role the Bath Half Marathon plays in the city’s calendar of events, inspiring fitness and wellbeing within the city, its importance to charities as the largest fundraising event in the region, and the boost it gives to the local hospitality economy. We look forward to the return of the event on May 29.”

In a joint statement, three local charities which benefit hugely from the Bath Half Marathon, Bath RUH Forever Friends Appeal, Dorothy House Hospice Care and Jamie’s Farm, said: “The Bath Half Marathon is an incredibly important event for local charities, not only in terms of fundraising – around £1 million pounds is raised each year for local charities within Bath & North East Somerset (out of a total of £2.5 million pounds raised by the event) – but also in raising public awareness of the charities’ work.

“The funds raised for local charities through the Bath Half are critical to our services in our community, and after the challenges presented by the Covid pandemic these funds are even more essential to keep our vital services going.”