Press Release - Edinburgh Marathon - 5/18/10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

              Record Boost For 2010 Edinburgh Marathon Festival 

This month's Edinburgh Marathon Festival (May 23) has attracted yet another 
record entry with around 23,500 runners planning to hit the streets of the 
capital.

Scotland's biggest running event - second only to the London Marathon in 
the UK - the Festival will play host to the Scottish Half Marathon and the 
increasingly popular Hairy Haggis Team Relay Marathon as well as the 
Edinburgh Marathon itself.

A total of 14,331 runners from all over the world including Mexico, Brazil, 
Japan and New Zealand, have entered the main event, with 5367 entering the 
Half Marathon and 3848 entered for the Relay.

This year's event promises to be particularly special with elite British 
runners past and present taking ceremonial roles. Having had her bid to 
take part thwarted by injury Liz Yelling, two time Olympian and 2006 
Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist, will be the official starter 
for the Edinburgh Marathon Festival.

Yelling said, "Despite not being to toe the line as I'd hoped in this 
year's Edinburgh Marathon I'm really excited and honoured to be starting 
the race and supporting every runner along the way."  

However all the main attention will be on the finish by the time Ron Hill, 
the legendary British long distance runner marks the 40th anniversary of 
his greatest triumph in style in the city where he won his Commonwealth 
Games Marathon gold medal.

Hill will defy the years by running anchor leg for the Kilgour Killers in 
the Hairy Haggis Team Relay.

Real Radio are heavily promoting the event which will feature celebrities 
from the worlds of sport and show-business with entrants for the various 
events including Gregor Townsend, the former Scotland and British Lions 
rugby star, TV presenter Amanda Hamilton and celebrity chef Alan Murchison.

More than £3.5 million is expected to be raised for charity, while the 
economic impact for Edinburgh and the surrounding area is now approaching 
£15 million since the first Edinburgh Marathon in 2003. 

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