A TAYSIDE running club lined up for its 5K annual fun run yesterday despite having to move the event after encountering council red tape.

Running Sisters Tayside has held its fun run every year since 1997 in Camperdown Park, Dundee, and had begun planning this year’s race as normal but was faced with too many obstacles put in its way by Dundee City Council before the runners reached the starting line.

Organisers were told, after writing to Dundee City Council asking for permission to use Camperdown, that as the club charged entrants to take part in the race to cover insurance costs, they would be liable to pay the local authority a £235 fee for use of the park.

This would have meant the race, which normally attracts 40 to 50 entrants, would be too expensive to run, forcing the club to take the decision to move the event to Monikie Park.

The city council later said that there had been a “misunderstanding” and it was not asked to pay the fee. It would be contacting the organisers to resolve the situation and ensure the event returns to Camperdown next year.

However, despite the difficulties, the race finally got under way yesterday at Monikie with 83 runners.

Club secretary Ann Fenton said, “It was a great success.

“The weather was a bit disappointing but everyone seemed to enjoy it.”

And the return to Camperdown next year is not a certainty as the club was pleased with the facilities and course at Monikie.

“It’s up for discussion. A lot of people don’t like the big hill in the middle of the course at Camperdown and Monikie is a lot flatter and is a nice course.

“There were good facilities at Monikie so we will have to have a discussion at the club as to where to hold the event next year.”