Some 1,200 runners will hit the streets of Kirkcaldy on Sunday for an event said to have had an unprecedented impact.
Kirkcaldy Parks Half Marathon will show case the town’s parks and waterfront to runners and spectators from as far afield as Germany, Liverpool and across Scotland.
Organisers are “hugely excited” to fire the starting pistol for the 13.1-mile race which takes in Beveridge Park, Dunnikier Park, Dysart Harbour, Ravenscraig Park and the Esplanade.
It will be the first time a half marathon has been held in Kirkcaldy for 27 years.
Planning the sell-out run has been a massive undertaking, said to have been the town’s biggest event operationally in living memory for transportation officers.
Some 138 signs have been erected around the town warning of a long list of road closures and restrictions.
Alistair Cameron, event committee member and town councillor, said: “This is the biggest single operational event held in Kirkcaldy in the modern era because of the area it is covering.”
Pledging to make it an annual feature of the town’s events calendar, he said: “There is no way we are doing all this work for one year.
“We have learned so much already and we have put plans in place to do things next year a little bit slicker.
“I also don’t think Kirkcaldy has had an event which has had such a beneficial effect on the health and wellbeing of people.
“In the last few weeks the number of people out running has been amazing and for a large number of people this is the first time they have run an event.”
Although people will face traffic disruption on Sunday morning Mr Cameron said 99% of feedback had been positive.
Bill Harvey, manager of Kirkcaldy business improvement district company Kirkcaldy4All, said the large number of visitors will boost trade and profile.
He said: “This is a major event which will put Kirkcaldy on the map.
“There will be 1,200-odd runners and hopefully a lot of people will come to see them and that will have important impact on the economy around the town.
“Organisers have worked really hard to pull this together from scratch.
“We are now looking for good weather, for it to be incident-free and for people to enjoy our parks and waterfront and appreciate what we have to offer.”
Runners will set off at 10am from Beveridge Park, which is also the finish line and event village.
A series of road closures and diversions will be in force between 9.45am and 2pm.
Part of Abbotshall Road will be closed for the duration and there will be rolling road closures and parking restrictions in other streets along the route.
