Carlisle’s youngest half-marathon event is set to be bigger than ever this year – after switching from autumn to spring.

The DSD Carlisle Half will take place in March, having been held in September in its first two years.

Organisers hope the run, which starts and finishes at Carlisle United’s Brunton Park stadium, will attract 1,500 entrants.

Mike James, who is staging the event in tandem with Ian Milburn, said the date change is designed to attract even more runners than before.

He said: “When we held it in the autumn, the Great Cumbrian Run was only a month before, and we were also only a week after the Great North Run, which an awful lot of people do from around here.

“If you look at the race calendar, there aren’t many races in March, whereas months such as April and September are packed.

“We felt that having two big half-marathons in Carlisle six months apart made more sense.”

The event, on Sunday, March 15, includes a half marathon, 10k race and a fun run. It takes in the city’s main landmarks, including the Lanes, castle and cathedral, as runners go through Rickerby Park and out to Linstock and Crosby-on-Eden and back again.

Mr James added: “This is our third year and it’s had a very positive response since it began. In the first two years we’ve had just over 1,000, so 1,500 would be a really positive step this time.

“It takes time to build these things up and we’re very grateful for the support we have from our sponsors and from Carlisle United.

“The club have been great, and it works mutually. As [United’s director of football] David Holdsworth has said, if you want the community to come to you, you have to go out to the community.

“We do have desire to increase it. I don’t think there’s any reason why this couldn’t be a 5,000 running event in the next five years. Running is huge at the moment, and we’ve got the space, so why not?”

The race’s charity will again be Eden Valley Hospice. The run was initially created in memory of the popular former United footballer Tony Hopper, who died in 2018 from motor neurone disease.

Mr James said: “The initial idea came through Ian’s friendship with Tony, who also got a lot of respite care at the hospice, so it’s all linked to giving something back.

“We give Eden Valley Hospice entries, and they can pull in their people to raise whatever they can, and we encourage other runners to run for them if they wish to.

“DSD Construction are our main sponsor, while Kingmoor Park are sponsoring the fun run, linked to Carlisle Youth Zone. Again, we encourage as many children as possible from the youth zone to take part, including children with disabilities.”

Riverside Recruitment are also sponsoring the event.

Mr James added: “It is a flat course and another key selling point is that it is a full road closure event.

“I think runners like the fact they don’t have to be wary of a bus coming past them, for instance.

“It’s nice for people to be able to run all the way down the middle of Warwick Road, and through the city centre.”

To enter, and for more information, visit www.carlislehalf.co.uk. The entry fee is reduced if runners sign up before the end of this month.