THE time has almost come!

More than 2,000 of people will be put through their paces on Sunday when the New Swindon Half kicks off at 8am.

All sorts of colourful characters will run a 13.1-mile route along main roads from the County Ground to Commercial Road, passing through several iconic Swindon sights on their way around town, including the Magic Roundabout, the railways, Old Town, the MacArthur Glen Outlet Village, and Wharf Green.

Liberal Democrat Stan Pajak, Conservative councillor for Lydiard and Freshbrook Tim Swinyard, and Labour’s Nadine Watts from Old Town, Emma Bushell of Walcot and Park North, and Mayor of Swindon Junab Ali will be putting politics to one side for the day to race to the finish.

Anyone aged 17 or over can take part - Joseph Hines, who attends New College, turned 17 on Thursday and could be the youngest runner there.

He’s running with his parents Alan and Dorothy.

Joseph said: “We aren’t running for a charity but as a challenge.

“I have done a few other local half marathons since my first last year whereas they see this as personal challenges and a great local event.”

Tony Hillier will be reciting and writing poetry as he runs.

He said: “When people shout out things to me, I’ll write all this down and shape it a bit and feed it back to the town through the event’s Facebook page.

“I’m looking forward to what people say to see how I can jot down notes at the time and create poems as I go around.”

“I enjoy words, I juggle them around. I’ve done words in the council lift, on the buses, in the street and while cycling through Walcot.

“Community poetry is accessible plain language, without too much fancying it. It reflects every day the life that we all live in.”

Many runners will be supporting charities and good causes close to their hearts.

Ridgeway School librarian Sarah-Kate Tonkin is fundraising for the National Autistic Society.

Four nurses from the trauma team at GWH are raising money for their own department to offer Reminiscence Therapy.

Kelly Grice is running for the special care baby unit incubator appeal, because her husband was there when he was born.

Michelle Maull-Hutfield is supporting both Radiotherapy and incubator appeal because her mum has received radiotherapy.

Last year, the half marathon generated £70,000 for charities that were being represented in the race.