The early start for this year's Swindon half marathon was imposed by the council to allow emergency services to get about Swindon.

Yesterday the Adver reported that the organiser of the race, Graeme Hardie, had warned that this year's race could be the last unless he sees more runners signing up in the next month.

And one reason for a disappointing turn out could be the new start time of 8am compared to an 11am start last year.

But Swindon Borough Council is adamant that the new time is necessary and said it was keen to support the race.

Coun Keith Williams, the authority's cabinet member for corporate and customer services, said: “Last year, seven ambulances were gridlocked due to road closures, with both bus services and locals stranded.”

“This year with an earlier start time and a new traffic management company hired by the organisers, we are hoping for less disruption.”

Coun Williams, who represents Shaw ward responded to calls by Labour councillor Jane Milner-Barry for the council to step in and subsidize the event by saying it was already providing plenty of support.

He added said: “We only charge £2130 to the organisers with £600 being allocated to advertising of the event. Therefore, we only receive £1530 from the event .”

The councillor said he sympathised with the organisers and understood difficulties with managing road closures.

He said the council too had experienced difficulties running the Swindon Half Marathon on its original route which started in Pipers Way and ran throughout the surrounding countryside. Although that didn't involve as many closures as last year's event, called the New Half marathon, Coun Williams he said it was "still problematic to manage."

The race organiser Graeme Hardie has also acknowledged the traffic problems around last year's race which did cause protests from several residents.

In an email to potential runners sent earlier this year he said: "We took onboard all the great feedback from last year, and we've made a few tweaks to this year's race to accommodate that. These are not only tweaks to benefit the runners, but things that will dramatically increase the way traffic flows around the town for the duration of the race."

But Mr Hardie also told runners that the cost of putting on the event was another potential stumbling point, saying the organisers had spent £60,000 last year for road closures and traffic management

As all money to put on the race had to come from entry fees from 2,700 runners and sponsorship, it means organisers were out of pocket by £18,500.

Last year's event saw more than £70,000 raised for Swindon charities and towns people responded with dismay to the news that this year's edition may be the last

Writing on the Swindon Half Marathon, Facebook page, Mark Burch said: "This year will be my first half marathon as I was inspired by the great atmosphere and organisation that went in to last year which I went along and supported.

"I hope the early start doesn’t stop spectators coming out and it is a real shame there isn’t more support for such a great event.”

On the same page Stuart Kingsley, said: “I have to say I think it’s a bit pathetic to say it’s too early a start because you have to get up early.

"So what! I regularly get up at 5:00 to get to London for a breakfast time run. I have an afternoon nap later as a reward.Hopefully people will read this and think ‘do you know what, I’ll support these guys and get up early if I have to’. Go on - please help.”

On the Advertiser's Facebook page Darren Pettit wrote about the events the town has lost recently: "The Mela, the reggae concert, Swindon Pride, the TV screen all defunct.The town has an obesity problem; lets make it hard for anybody to put on a showpiece half marathon on that's far to positive for Swindon."

Graeme Hardie said he needed at least another 1,000 runners to sign up for the race on September 9 to be able to think about putting it on next year.

Runners can enter at www.newswindonhalf.co.uk/