NEARLY 7,000 runners are expected to flock to the start line when Nottingham's famous full marathon returns after a year's absence.
Around 2,000 are expected to don green tights in a tribute to Robin Hood.
Cheering the participants on through the city's and county's roads and parkland will be 200 "race makers", recruited and trained by race organisers Sweatshop.
The Ikano Robin Hood Marathon and Half Marathon are returning on Sunday, September 29, and organisers are hoping to make the event – first held in 1981 – a major race in the running calendar.
"The marathon is an integral part of the event, so it feels right to be bringing it back," said Nick Pearson, managing director of Sweatshop.
"We know it was disappointing for people who run it year in and year out.
"It was really frustrating we couldn't hold it last year, so it is satisfying to be able to bring it back – safer and more enjoyable – and we are confident it will grow in the future.
"The plan that we have – and the plan that the council has – is for this to grow into a national marathon within the racing calendar."
The full marathon was cancelled last year due to tram works and health and safety concerns about runners competing on busy, open roads.
This year 600 runners have already signed up for the marathon and nearly 5,000 are committed to the half marathon.
It is hoped a further 900 people will sign up for the full 26 miles when details of the route are released tomorrow after it was finalised by Sweatshop and Nottingham City Council yesterday.
Like the marathon in previous years, it is expected to start at Victoria Embankment and follow the route of the half marathon.
It will then continue through Colwick Park, towards Holme Pierrepont, where runners will do a much smaller loop of the water sports centre than in previous years.
Runners will continue along the river to the finish, which will be at the same place as the start at Victoria Embankment.
Any roads included will be closed to traffic.
"The half marathon is the fastest in the country, which offers runners of all abilities the chance to beat their personal best," said Mr Pearson.
"We've tried to maintain that with the full marathon and cut the route through the flatter areas of the city and the county.
"It's safer in the sense that it's an enclosed route, so it's largely on closed roads.
"Although marshalling people through open roads is fine, it does present challenges and it stopped being appropriate due to the number of people running the course.
"The other main change is that the marathon used to have a full loop of Holme Pierrepont.
"The feedback we were getting was that it was quite lonely and disconcerting – there were no landmarks to make it enjoyable, so we've tried to take that on board and make it so it's not as demoralising."
As well as the route being new, around 200 volunteers – or "race makers" – will also be recruited for the first time.
"Part of what we want to do is to add a more qualified element," said Mr Pearson.
"Volunteers will receive training and hopefully we can call on them year after year so that they become experts.
"We want people who are really proud of their role in the marathon.
"We hope we can define the roles a bit more and that people take ownership of them."
Finance firm Ikano will be sponsoring the event, with New Balance named as secondary sponsors.
For more details about entering this year's races visit www.robinhoodhalfmarathon.co.uk.
