Big crowds and a starting line swollen with hundreds of runners won’t feature when half marathon runners take to Swindon’s streets in September.

Two weeks after the government gave running events the go-ahead, organisers of the New Swindon Half have confirmed they are planning to hold the race on September 20. But they say the event could be cancelled if the adapted race will not pose significant risk.

Organisers are yet to say how many runners will be able to take part in the 13 mile race, with the final confirmation expected by mid-August.

Race director Richard Parr has given an update on how the event might work.

There will be no big crowds or massed starts, he told BBC Wiltshire.

Mr Parr added: “Once runners are out on the course there’s little likelihood of people coming into contact with one another. Certainly, keeping one to two metre distance out on that Swindon Half course is no problem at all.

“I ran it last year in anticipation of all the work this year and once you’re through your first mile you are clear of lots of other people. The roads are super wide so you’ve got loads of space to run in, so actually runners are pretty good at being spatially aware and being aware of where the next runner is. They’re normally planning on overtaking them or just keeping them within in their sights.

“Out on the course we don’t expect it to be a problem. But it’s all those things around getting people into the start of an event in the County Ground, getting people through a start line and getting people through a finish line, giving them their medal and getting them off safely home without ending up being in a really long queue or in a super big crowd of people.

“We think all of those things are possible but you can imagine it’s just a little bit complicated. We’ve got some serious formulas going on to work out how we can get anything like a reasonable number of people who want to do it still to come through.”

He said people wanted to “be able to get back out there”.

Mr Parr added: “I think the main thing people forget about events like this is that charities and good causes need their fundraisers more than ever. Running events contribute millions to charities across the country every year and local charities particularly can be kept alive by smaller running events like the Swindon Half.

“It’s a one day event. We’re on the streets for less than four hours. It makes a huge impact on the local economy for something that only lasts four hours.”

Last year, it was estimated runners raised more than £100,000 for charity.