BASINGSTOKE Half Marathon and 10k race will be returning tomorrow, Sunday, October 3, after a year’s break due to Covid restrictions.

The last time the races held in Basingstoke in 2019, it was a huge success with the participation of thousands of people.

Check out our gallery above to view some of the best pictures from the half marathon and 10k race.

The event saw Dave Ragan from Cranborne winning the 10k race in a time of 33mins 22 secs.

Alex Bampton from north London won the half marathon in a time of 1hour 11mins 39secs.

As well as all the members of various running clubs who took part, there were a number of fun runners raising money for charity.

Steve Edney and his running partner Anton Squire were running in support of the Brittle Bone Society, which Steve has raised thousands of pounds for.

This year, it will be the 10th edition of the popular race.

Not-for-profit organisation Destination Basingstoke, the organisers of the event, said they have planned some changes for this year's race. This includes a rolling start on Sunday to avoid crowding at the start of the marathon.

It has also been decided that the race will start from within War Memorial Park this time to avoid closure of the ring road for the first part of the race.

The Basingstoke Half Marathon also clashes with the postponed London Marathon this weekend, and some of the regular runners have been torn between taking up a coveted London place and supporting the local race.

Hence the organisers have added an option for participants to race virtually anytime from last month to October 3. It also means anyone not comfortable yet with participating in a big event can still get involved on their own terms.

The race will also see involvement from corporates, running clubs and charity teams.

Destination Basingstoke’s target is to help raise funds for many local charities and especially the race’s main charity St Michael’s Hospice.

The marathon’s headline sponsors are Phillips Solicitors, Lilly UK, Tech Data, Lavazza Professional and Portsmouth Estates.

You can still enter the races by clicking here.