Event to be reintroduced as a three-day running challenge in June

The Tour of Tameside is to return in June after an absence of more than a decade.

Sports Tours International is reintroducing the event as a three-day running challenge taking place from June 19-21. It follows on from the original week-long series which was last held over a decade ago.

The event is supported by 1969 European and 1970 Commonwealth marathon champion Ron Hill (pictured above), who founded the original Tour of Tameside in the early 1980s (see video below) and competed in every event until the last edition.

“It is great to see the Tour of Tameside back on the race calendar after an absence of 15 years,” said Hill.

“Events like this are difficult to organise in this day and age but I am sure it will go from strength to strength and put Tameside in the spotlight once more.”

This year’s event will begin on Friday June 19, with a six-mile fell race at Copley Leisure Centre in Stalybridge followed by the Longdendale trail half marathon on Saturday. Runners who take on all three stages of the event will run the distance of a marathon over the three days, with the Tour finishing with a seven-mile race around Hyde on the Sunday.

Chris Bird, chief executive of Sports Tours International, commented: “There has been a phenomenal level of interest and support over the last decade to bring back the Tour of Tameside.

“The Tour originally took place over one week, with six races, but because of the demands it placed on runners having to take time out of work, we have taken the best bits of the Tour and created a weekend-long event.”

Entry opens on March 12 at www.touroftameside.co.uk, with a standard entry fee of 60 for the full Tour of Tameside. Runners who enter before March 31 can take advantage of a special entry fee of 45.

Video via Official BTR Liverpool

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