THEhe 35th annual Taunton 10k takes to the road on Sunday.

Over 400 runners will set off from Everyone Active’s Blackbrook Pavilion at 11am.

The course takes them around Chestnut Drive, Upper Holway Road, Holway Avenue, South Road, and Stoke Road before heading out to Stoke St Mary then back along Haydon Lane, past the golf driving range, to the finish at Blackbrook Pavilion.

The event is organised by Taunton Carnival Committee and supported by SWT Council.

Carnival Chairman Marilyn House said the race was once again well supported: “This is very much a local run with the majority of runners coming from Taunton. Taunton AC, Running Forever, Taunton RC, Hydrographic Harriers, Trull Troggers, all have members entered. We’re very happy to see contingents from further afield across Somerset as well Devon and Dorset

With this number of runners on the roads organisers ask drivers to be cautious and patient around the route – safety is most important.

Race Director John Lewis commented: “The race is run on an anti-clockwise course to minimise conflict with traffic as much as possible. We have a 30 minute road closure at the Blackbrook Way/Lisieux Way roundabout so we can set up the Start and get the race under way safely.

"There will be some minor delays in Chestnut Drive at the Upper Holway Road junction and again at the Stoke road junction to get runners across the flow of traffic. The field isn’t spread out at these points so the hold ups should be only a few minutes.

"Further round the course the road is closed from Stoke St Mary Church to Haydon Lane Between 11.15 and 12noon because it is so very narrow.”

Look out for race reports and pictures in next week’s County Gazette with full results appearing on our website.