The chance to get advice from experienced runners and coaches will be on offer at a series of free training sessions in the build up to this year's Perkins Great Eastern Run.

The sessions take place fortnightly on Wednesday evenings at Peterborough Embankment Athletics Track in Bishops Road.

The first session takes place on July 11 with the events held up until October 3. Each session starts with a warm-up at 7pm and will last around an hour.

Runners can meet seasoned competitors who will be acting as pacers to help entrants achieve personal best times in the race which takes place on Sunday, October 14.

Annette Joyce, Peterborough City Council's Service Director for Environment and Economy, said: "Running is becoming more and more popular in Peterborough as witnessed by the recent Sunrise 5K event which attracted over 200 participants, as well as our previous free lunchtime sessions which doubled in attendance this year.

"These sessions are a great way to get in shape for the Great Eastern Run and get advice on how to prepare for the big day.

"They are led by some of the best coaches in the region and are suitable for people of all levels of fitness and experience with runners split into groups to reflect their ability."

Runners do not have to be signed up to the Perkins Great Eastern Run to take part in the sessions, you can be considering taking part or merely just want to get some running advice.

Target times for papers will range from finishing the race in just under 90 minutes, to up to three hours which is the race limit.

Representatives from the charity Anna's Hope will be on hand at the first session for anyone who wants to find out about the 5K Fun Run event.

Visit www.perkinsgreateasternrun.co.uk for more information about pacers, target times and the free training sessions. Entries to the half marathon and Fun Run.

Follow the latest Perkins Great Eastern Run developments on Twitter @PerkinsGER, Facebook www.facebook.com/ThePerkinsGreatEasternRun and Instagram @perkinsgreateasternrun.

Peterborough City Council is informing residents and motorists about road closures around the city, necessary for this year's Perkins Great Eastern Run. 

Both the half marathon and the Anna's Hope fun run will start and finish on The Embankment. The 5km fun run starts at 10am on Sunday October 8 and the half marathon follows at 10.30am. 

Entries to both races close at midday on Friday 6 October. Organisers already anticipate a record number of entries for the half marathon. There are no entries available on the day. 

To ensure the race goes as smoothly as possible the council will be closing several roads on the 13.1 mile route. 

The following roads will be closed between 9.30am and 10.45am: Rivergate, Bourges Boulevard (southbound) from the Queensgate roundabout, Priestgate, Cathedral Square, Long Causeway and Broadway. 

In general, all other roads along the route will be closed from 9.30am until 2pm. However, as the last runner passes each mile point, that road junction will reopen. 

The mile points and approximate reopening times are: 

1 mile - 11am - Broadway to Northminster 
2 mile - 11.15am - Park Road to Park Crescent 
3 mile - 11.30am - Fulbridge Road to Foxdale 
4 mile - 11.45am - Paston Ridings to Witham Way 
5 mile - 12pm - Corfe Avenue to Rockingham Grove 
6 mile - 12.15pm - Lincoln Road to Staverton Road 
7 mile - 12.30pm - David's Lane to Hodgson Avenue 
8 mile - 12.45pm - Fulbridge Road to Aster Drive 
9 mile - 1pm - Donaldson Drive to Pratt Avenue 
10 mile - 1.15pm - Fulbridge Road to Tennyson Road 
11 mile - 1.30pm - Dogsthorpe Road to Park Road 
12 mile - 1.45pm - Eastfield Road to Boongate 
13 mile - 2pm - Embankment - finish 

Annette Joyce, service director for city services and communications at Peterborough City Council, which organises the race, said: "With the Perkins Great Eastern Run fast approaching it's important residents and businesses take note of these road closures. 

"The race is one of the biggest events on our annual calendar and we expect many hundreds of residents and visitors to come out and support the runners along the course. 

"However, we always want to minimise the impact on other residents by ensuring they know in advance about the necessary road closures we need to put in place. We would like to thank road users for their cooperation during this event."

Entries to the half marathon and fun run can be made online. Visit www.perkinsgreateasternrun.co.uk for more information. 

Embargoed until - Tuesday 19 September – 11am

Local charities set to receive £5,000 from Jane Tomlinson Appeal

Five local charities and good causes are set to receive a £1,000 cash prize from the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, a charity which partners with the Perkins Great Eastern Run.
The appeal asked the people of Peterborough to nominate their favourite local cause to receive a cash injection and hundreds of suggestions were made. Five causes have been selected to receive £1,000 each.
The successful causes are No Gain No Pain UK, Personalised Eating Disorder Support (PEDS), Cruse Peterborough, Inspire Peterborough and Carers Trust Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.

PHOTO/MEDIA OPPORTUNITY
Where - Peterborough Town Hall
When - Tuesday 19 September at 11am
What - The Jane Tomlinson Appeal, representatives from PGER and the beneficiary charities will assemble for a photo opportunity and celebration of the Great Peterborough Giveaway 2017.
Appeal Manager Kate Goldring said “We were overwhelmed to read all the nominations, clearly a lot of great work takes place in the Peterborough community. For us, it’s important to give back to the communities who support us and through our partnership with the Perkins Great Eastern Run; the people of Peterborough have done just that. We’re thrilled to be able to support five fantastic causes in the area.”

No Gain No Pain UK is a small local charity raising money for syringe drivers to be used in the local community. A syringe driver is a small computerised machine that can be programmed to give patients a measured dose of pain relief and other drugs during palliative care. The machines can help patients remain at home with loved ones instead of going into hospital or a hospice.

Lee Nicholls of No Gain No Pain responded to the news of the donation and said: “Syringe drivers cost £1,100 each. Many large areas were sharing just one or two of these machines and we are slowly managing to increase these numbers.

“We have donated an extra 18 machines over the last two years and these have been in constant use since they were handed over. We are extremely thankful to the trustees of the Jane Tomlinson Appeal for supporting our cause.”

Annette Joyce, race director for Peterborough City Council, said: “A fantastic amount of money was raised for good causes at last year’s race which will now go to supporting very worthwhile causes nominated by the residents of Peterborough. It proves yet again that the Perkins Great Eastern Run is not just a race, but a real community event that benefits many good causes both through the Jane Tomlinson Appeal and the many other charities that benefit as a result of those taking part.
“Around 200 runners are signed up for this year’s race in just a few weeks’ time so even more good causes will benefit as a result.”
The Jane Tomlinson Appeal was launched as a lasting legacy to Jane Tomlinson CBE who died from cancer in 2007. Before her untimely death aged just 43, Jane raised £1.8m for children's and cancer charities through a series of incredible endurance feats - despite suffering from terminal cancer.

Although Jane spent most of her life in Yorkshire, she lived in Peterborough when her husband Mike worked in the city. Their daughter Rebecca, one of three children, was born at Peterborough District Hospital.
Rebecca, who ran the half marathon in 2016 for the appeal, said: “We’re so excited that the Perkins Great Eastern Run has chosen to support the Jane Tomlinson Appeal again in 2017.

“My parents moved to Peterborough not long after they got married and I was born there, so the city will always be really special to me. To know that the city is helping to carry on mum’s legacy now is really touching for me.”

About the Jane Tomlinson Appeal

Jane Tomlinson CBE raised £1.85m for children’s and cancer charities before her untimely death from cancer aged just 43 in 2007. She made headlines across the world by competing in a series of epic endurance challenges from the London Marathon, ironman and triathlon competitions, to a 4,200 mile cycle ride across the width of the USA – despite being diagnosed with incurable cancer.
The charity set up in her name has made a difference to scores of good causes, in the main children’s and cancer charities, across the North and Midlands.

The charity is proud to be the charity partner of the Perkins Great Eastern Run for a second year this October 8th and is welcoming entrants to sign up and fundraise for the Appeal.

Places for the run are still available on the website and you can select to support the Jane Tomlinson Appeal when registering www.perkinsgreateasternrun.co.uk/enter

For more information contact the Jane Tomlinson Appeal on 0113 826 7775 or email info@janetomlinsonappeal.com