WITH the Swindon Half-Marathon just over a week away, here’s your guide to what’s happening when and how to avoid the road closures.

ROADS

Organisers have designed this year’s 13.5-mile run to allow traffic to flow after drivers complained of difficulties when major routes were shut last year.

The race will start at an earlier time than usual, with up to 3,500 runners taking on the course, setting off from the County Ground at 8am on Sunday, September 9, with most expected to finish on Commercial Road by noon. All roads will re-open as soon as the last runner as gone past meaning the roads connecting east Swindon will mostly affected early in the morning from 8am and are expected to open again by 10am.

Roads around the Outlet Village will be affected until 10.30am and drivers through Old Town will need to avoid closed roads throughout the morning.

Queens Drive from the Magic Roundabout towards Coate Water Park and Dorcan Way up to Dorcan Academy is expected to be closed until 9am.

The Greenbridge roundabout and Stratton Road will be closed until around 9.30am, and Bridgend Road, Cirencester Way towards the Transfer Bridges which will be closed until 10am.

The route then goes behind Swindon College and past the leisure centre and along Newcombe Drive and will close roads around the Outlet Village, including Kemble Drive and Penzance Drive, which will both be closed in one direction until 10.30am

The A3102 Wootton Bassett Road between Penzance Drive and Redpost Drive in the direction from Mannington Roundabout into town will be shut until around 10:45.

Old Town will be partially closed for most of the morning, with Wood Street and the Co-op roundabout closed, and Victoria Road closed on both sides until Union Row where it will be closed on one side.

Commercial Road and Market Street past the Tented Market will be closed on both sides until the race finishes around noon.

PARKING

Car parks on Princess Street or behind Debenhams provide a half-mile walk to the start and are closer to the race finish.

The two biggest car parks closest to the race are the Brunel North multi-storey and the Fleming way car park with more than 1,200 spaces between them.

Organisers are urging runners and families to allow plenty of time to park and get to the start line in time for the race.

Marshals and police will be dotted around the course to help with traffic management of the course and to look out for runners who need any medical assistance.

THE FUTURE

The extra costs of paying a traffic management company meant the race organisers needed at least 2,500 runners to break even this year and to continue next.

“Last year the company spent £18,500 of our own money running the Swindon New Half Marathon and performed thousands of hours of unpaid work, creating it for runners,” said organiser Graeme Hardie. He added: “Unless we see an increase in numbers for this year’s race, that will be the end of the New Swindon Half dream.”