#Southport Half Marathon and also the Armed Forces Day Parade on today

#Southport town centre will be exceptionally busy today with the Southport Half Marathon and also the Armed Forces Day Parade.

Here's all you need to know about what to expect:

Southport Half Marathon 2019: Travel and General Advice.

This Sunday (June 30) Southport town centre will host to the 2019 Southport Half Marathon with hundreds of runners taking part.

This means the town will be exceptionally busy throughout the build up and duration of the marathon.

The route is 13 miles in total, starting at Victoria Park and incorporating Lord Street, Hesketh Park, Fleetwood Road, Marine Drive, the Promenade, Kings Gardens & Rotten Row.

In order to keep runners safe, road closures will be in place for the duration of the event, starting from 8.30am.

Roads will reopen to general traffic as the route is completed and the final closures are expected to be lifted around 1pm.

Southport Beach Car Park will be closed to the public during the morning to help facilitate the event and staff from Green Sefton will be assisting on the day. We hope to have the beach reopen for public parking from 1pm.

Sefton Council are working with organisers to help keep our beautiful borough clean and tidy and reduce the amount of litter which results from large scale events.

There will be four drop zones clearly signed at the water stations. Littering outside of these zones will result in a disqualification from the race.

Temperatures this weekend are expected to be between 18-26°c so regardless of if you’re running, cheering on a loved one or enjoying anywhere in our beautiful borough, please stay hydrated and apply sun-cream.

Everyone is welcome to come and watch the Half Marathon. The best and safest places to watch are around Victoria Park and the Marine Lake Café in King’s Gardens.

Don’t be offended if race marshals ask you to move. It’s to keep both you & runners safe!

Take full advantage of public transport to get here but if you’re driving, here’s some helpful routes:

East: Follow A570 Southport

South: Follow A565 North (Formby By-Pass)

North: Follow A59 South and then A565 into Southport

All participants and spectators are encouraged to park on Esplanade Car Park at the Eco Centre from 7am.

This offers the most convenient access to the venue and will cause the least disruption to our residents and businesses in the area.

We hope you enjoy your time in #Sefton, stay safe and good luck!

Photo by Tarleton Photography