PEOPLE are being urged to limber up for this year’s Bradford City Runs.

The annual running festival will take place next month and was officially launched at an event in City Park today.

It will once again raise money for the University of Bradford-based Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU).

It’s a cause close to the hearts of many in the city and was set up after the Bradford City fire disaster 32 years ago.

To this day it continues to explore groundbreaking treatment techniques for burns sufferers and the £7,000 raised from last year’s event will help this work to continue.

Ajay L Mahajan, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and Director of PSBRU, said: “We are delighted that the PSBRU at the University of Bradford has once again been chosen as the charity for this year’s Bradford City Runs. I want to wish everyone taking part the best of luck whichever distance they’re running and thank them for their support, which is vital in helping us continue our work in the unit.”

This year’s Bradford City Runs will take place on Sunday, October 29, and will feature a choice of 5km, 10km or a half marathon, as well as a children’s mile-long route – all on closed roads in and around City Park.

The route was introduced last year and takes in parts of Little Germany and The Broadway shopping centre, as well as the University of Bradford, Bradford College and City Hall and City Park.

John Dennis, of Active Bradford and chairman of the Bradford Athletics Network, said: “It’s an annual festival of running to mark all the activity that goes on all year round in Bradford.

“We have park runs every week, for adults and for juniors now, there’s running going on in schools, an incentive to get one mile a day done in every school in Bradford and the idea is just to get people active, to be able to build up on their targets and gradually build up their distances.

“The Bradford City Runs means you can progress each year, set yourself a new target and raise money at the same time for a good cause.

“’It’s here, it’s local, it’s on your doorstep and what we saw at the Great North Run – 35,000 people running – and what we want to get people thinking about is ‘this is a party for Bradford’, this is a chance to come out, you can walk, you can run, you can jog, you can dress up, you can do whatever you like, but come down and just enjoy yourself and do yourself a bit of good at the same time.”

Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe added: “Just falling on the back of the Great North Run, you could see the amount of people who came out and how much they enjoy running.

“This has been a Bradford version that has been going for quite a long time. It’s not quite as big as the Great North Run, however the fact it raises money for a charity which is really dear to our hearts is of extra benefit and extra significance to the district.”

Hundreds of people have already signed up for the event, which is organised through a partnership between Bradford Council and Bradford Athletics Network. To sign up, visit bradfordcityruns.co.uk.