Runners can celebrate with beer

ALL those finishing the Great East Run next month can celebrate or drown their sorrows with a bottle of Elgoods beer. The brewery, which is sponsoring the event, will be handing a bottle of Black Dog beer to all finishers who will also receive a medal and

ALL those finishing the Great East Run next month can celebrate or drown their sorrows with a bottle of Elgoods beer.

The brewery, which is sponsoring the event, will be handing a bottle of Black Dog beer to all finishers who will also receive a medal and a small gift bag.

The Great East Run IS now in its 9th year and takes place on February 17 over a 20km rural road course.

Since its inception club captain John Wharton and course director Nigel Edge have been involved in increasing both the size and prestige of this race to the size and Gold Grade status it now holds.

Dr Tim Morton, chairman of the organising committee, said: "We thought that the best way of expressing their thanks for the last eight years of hard work in race preparation was to make the course director and club captain un the course that they devised and we gave them race numbers 1 and 700."

Among other local businesses that are supporting the race are B1st Sports and Leisure shop in Beccles and ASDA.

Race entries are flooding in and the event organisers Bungay Black Dog Running Club have put a race entry limit of 700 runners and there are expectations that this will be reached in advance of race day. Entry forms can be downloaded from the event website www.greateastrun.org.uk.