A SEASONED marathon runner is all set to break a sweat in September as he takes part in the newly-revamped Swindon Half Marathon.

Eastcott councillor and former Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Stan Pajak, who lives in Drove Road, will be one of more than 2,000 people running 13.1 miles through the town on September 3.

Stan said: “I have run every Swindon Half Marathon, so I wasn’t going to miss this one.

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always a fantastic day and it will be great to see so many people taking part.”

Last October, the event had to be cancelled due to a lack of funds. But undeterred to see such an iconic race fall by the wayside, a small group of runners decided to take on the challenge of giving the half marathon a fabulous makeover.

The new route is a lot flatter and faster than in previous years and this has been one of the main factors that have contributed to the event’s strong support.

Stan, who has run the London Marathon twice, said: “This year there really seems to be a lot of enthusiasm about the race, and that’s great to see.”

Back in March, Stan took part in the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for Swindon’s Dial A Ride.

Speaking about the positives that such events bring to the town, the councillor said: “Things like this are brilliant for encouraging running in Swindon.

“There are already a lot of different running groups, and it would be great to see more people getting involved in the town’s running community.

“For those people relatively new to running, a half marathon is a good place to start if you’re eventually thinking about taking part in a marathon. It’s still a very big ask, but it’s certainly more manageable than 26 miles.”

Stan said he tries to get a run in every other day, just to make sure he’s suitably oiled before the big race in two weeks’ time.

For Stan, running is the perfect way to keep fit.

The new event, organised by LG Running Ltd & 113 Events, will take in many of Swindon’s best-known landmarks including the County Ground, the BMW plant, the Magic Roundabout as well as Nationwide’s HQ in Pipers Way.

Full details about the New Swindon Half Marathon are available at www.newswindonhalf.co.uk.