Festival up and running

● Launch of event is big news for athletes across north-east

The north-east’s road running community has received a massive boost with the launch today of the Baker Hughes Aberdeen Running Festival, which aims to build on the success of previous mass participation races in the city.

There was dismay last summer when the plug was pulled on the Great Aberdeen Run after three successful years, while rumours circulated over the future of the Baker Hughes 10km (renamed BHGE 10km in 2018) which had been on the fixture list since 1987.

These concerns have now been cast aside and a bright future for northeast running has emerged with the revamped 10km, supported once again by Baker Hughes, taking to the streets on Sunday August 30.

Aberdeen Sports Village is organising the running festival, with Graham Morrison taking on the role of event manager, while Great Britain ultra distance trail running international Kyle Greig assumes the role of race director.

The Baker Hughes 10km will remain the focal point, but a range of races for youngsters has been added to the programme.

Greig said: “It’s an exciting project to be involved with and I’m looking forward to it. The event will be based at Aberdeen Sports Village with all the children’s races being held on the track.

“The 10km will follow a new route from previous ones, which is quite exciting.

“It will start in Linksfield Road, go past Pittodrie, along the beach and into Old Aberdeen before heading back to finish on the track in front of a packed grandstand.

“We are still finalising the full details, but I feel it will be an attractive course which will, hopefully, give people fast times.

“There should be a great atmosphere at the finish as we want to build the whole day into a massive community event involving lots of people including charities and corporate teams. We can probably cater for up to 4,000 participants.”

Greig was also keen to point out that the running festival ties in with another major event taking place in the city that weekend.

He added: “The Celebrate Aberdeen event is on the Saturday and that includes the Union Street mile.

“We hope that having these two events will make Aberdeen a great place to visit at the end of August.”

Baker Hughes Europe vice-president Chris Jones said: “Baker Hughes is delighted to once again be sponsoring Aberdeen’s longest-standing running event, which has some exciting new developments for 2020.

“It has always been important to us to support the communities in which we live and work, and we are incredibly proud to have been title sponsors for more than 25 years.

“I am excited to see as many runners as possible take up the challenge to get active on Sunday August 30.”

Entries can be made at aberdeensportsvillage.com/ runfest

Photograph by Kenny Elrick CHAMPIONS: Last year’s BHGE 10km race winners Cameron Strachan, left, and Fiona Brian.