THE starting gun has fired for the popular Croudace Festival 5k race – and once again, entrants will be doing their bit to help the environment.

Sunday, April 16 is the date for your diary as the event, which enables runners to have the rare opportunity to run through Festival Place.

Event organiser Destination Basingstoke and sponsors Croudace Homes and Festival Place are pleased to continue for a second year with the initiative to make the race more sustainable. Instead of giving a free T-shirt with entry to the race, a tree will be planted for every runner – an initiative that will have a positive impact in terms of climate change action.

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Russell Denness, chief executive of Croudace Homes Group, said: “Croudace has a long-standing tradition of supporting the communities in which we operate, and our partnership with Destination Basingstoke is one of which we are extremely proud.

“We are delighted, therefore, to once again be the main sponsor of this exciting and popular race, open to participants of all abilities.

“As a responsible business, committed to reducing our own carbon emissions, we are particularly pleased to hear of the continued involvement of TreesnotTees and the initiative to plant a tree for every runner who participates.  All the more reason to join in the fun and soak up the atmosphere, while supporting the fight against climate change.”

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The Festival 5k race is an achievable goal, so why not sign up as part of your new year challenge? After the race, your tree will be planted by our partners at TreesnotTees and you will receive a certificate and photo of it, as a lasting memento.

The race will start and finish in Festival Square, go through the shopping centre, out round Eastrop Park and Basing View, before returning to Festival Place. Places are limited and it often sells out, so runners are encouraged to enter soon.

Entry is open to all runners aged 13 and above, and you can enter at destinationbasingstoke.co.uk/festival5.