In 2015, one of the most iconic events in British athletics, the Tour of Tameside, returned after an absence of more than a decade. Due to the success of the returned race, the Tour of Tameside will be returning in 2016, this time as a four-day event, extending the 2015 race by one day.
The Tour of Tameside, which attracts runners from across the UK, will take place from Thursday to Sunday 16-19 June 2016.
Sports Tours International is back as the race organiser, and has the support of local organisations and marathon legend Dr Ron Hill MBE, who founded the original Tour of Tameside in 1983.
Ron, who competed in the challenge every year until the last Tour in 2003, said “I was very proud to see the Tour of Tameside back on the race calendar in 2015 after an absence of 15 years. Events like this are difficult to organise in this day and age but from the success of last year’s event I am sure it will continue to grow and put Tameside in the spotlight once more.”
The event will begin on Thursday 16 June with the Cross Trail 10K and the Tour of Tameside Schools Challenge 3k at Park Bridge and Daisy Nook Country Parks. Day 2 is the 6 mile Copley Fell Run, followed by the High Peak Half Marathon on Saturday.
The tour will finish with the runners taking part in the Hyde 7 mile run, which starts and finishes outside Hyde Town Hall. Runners who take on all four stages of the event will run the distance of one and a half marathons over the four days.
Chris Bird, Chief Executive of Sports Tours International, said “We were overwhelmed by the response we had to the return of this iconic race. Our social media activity reached the highest level of traffic we have received for any of the many races we organise.”
He added, “We have been working closely with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and our partners to plan the tour in order to deliver a fantastic event. The Tour is more than just a race it will also provide various health and sporting benefits for Tameside, and bring with it a great sense of community engagement as everyone can get involved.”
Active Tameside and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council are involved and working closely with Sports Tours International to engage local communities, community groups and businesses. New Charter Homes is an official partner to the Tour of Tameside and Nature Valley is the official nutrition partner.
Runners taking part can raise money for their own charity or any of the three charities involved, which are: Willow Wood Hospice, Believe and Achieve and the Anthony Seddon Fund.
www.touroftameside.co.uk
www.sportstoursinternational.co.uk
