THE 33rd Stroud Half Marathon takes place this Sunday, featuring 1,350 runners.

Organised by Stroud and District Athletics Club, the event is sponsored by Ecotricity, Griffiths Marshall Chartered Accountants, Dairy Crest, Bailey Paints and Gloucester Sports and begins at 10am from Marling School in Cainscross Road.

This year the club are supporting Teckels Animal Sanctuaries, located in Whitminster.

Entry to the half marathon is now closed and there are no entries on the day.

For those not running, why not cheer the runners on their way?

Good spectator vantage points are Cainscross Road, Ebley Road, Stonehouse town centre, and Horsetrough Roundabout.

As well as the half marathon, junior athletes between the ages of nine and 16 will be taking part in the Silver Mile (school Years 7-8 and 9-11) or the 1K race (school Years 4-6), which start 15 minutes after the main event on the Cainscross Road.

Entries are now closed for these events and there are no entries on the day.

In order to ensure the safety of runners the following roads will be closed during the half marathon.

A419 Cainscross Road, between the Cainscross roundabout and the Wallbridge roundabout, from 8.30am to 1.30pm.

B4008 Standish Lane, between Standish Church and the junction with the A38, from 10.20am to 11.45 am.

The Nupend (Grove) Lane, running from the A38 at Whitminster to the entrance to the Little Chef at the island on the A419 near Chipmans Platt, from 10.30am to noon.

Oldends Lane, Stonehouse, from the junction with the A419 to Midland Road, Stonehouse (over railway crossing) from 10.35am to 12.30pm.

Paganhill Lane, in both directions, from top to bottom, between 10.50am and 12.30pm.

Dudbridge Roundabout to Cainscross roundabout, in both directions, between 9.45am and 12.30pm.

A club spokesman said: “Stroud and District AC would like to apologise unreservedly in advance for the road closures which we accept do cause inconvenience to other road users.

“But the closures having been agreed with the local authorities as required.”