THE ROUTE for the resurrected Bolton Marathon has been revealed and it includes an infamous feature from the past.

The one-lap race will start and end in Queens Park but will see runners tackle the 2.1 mile uphill stretch of Plodder Lane which gave previous editions of the event its brutal reputation.

Organisers of the ambitious event, due to take place in May 2020, unveiled the course yesterday.

It runs in a clockwise loop around Bolton, through areas such as Smithills, Sharples, Bromley Cross, Harwood, Darcy Lever, Little Lever and Farnworth.

Race director Richard Smith said: "We have set out to make a route that is as good as it can possibly be and takes in as many communities as we can.

“It is a one lap route, so that runners only have to do everything once and it will certainly be a true test of running ability. If you only complete one marathon in your life and it’s the Bolton Marathon you can give yourself a huge pat on the back.

“Everyone who watched or took part in it in the 1980s remembers what a challenge the Plodder Lane section was and we wanted to make sure that was definitely included in the new route.”

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He stressed that it was crucially important that residents and businesses along the route were kept up to date with plans for road closures at each step of the project.

He added: “We know that people are willing to travel distances to take part in a good marathon and test themselves.

“We will have a limit of 4,000 runners. We are aiming for this to be the best organised road marathon in the UK – we want to make the experience superb for everyone.

“That doesn’t just mean those running, it means spectators, residents and businesses and those who join as volunteers.

"We're really proud of the route. We think it's all encompassing and involves many different communities across Bolton so that as many local people as possible can get involved in it however they like.

"They can support, volunteer or take part. Participants will be able to actually train on the route because it's on most people's doorsteps."

Organisers are aiming for this to be the first marathon in the world to be completely free of single-use plastic products, to avoid the huge number of plastic bottles discarded during such events.

The Bolton Marathon will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2020, along with a 10km race and a family fun run.

To get involved as a volunteer, runner or sponsor, sign up at www.boltonmarathon.com.