Doncaster Half Marathon: Drivers warned of road closure as race returns after three years

The Doncaster half-marathon – an event organised by local event management team Curly’s Athletes – will return to the streets of Bessacarr and Rossington for the first time since 2019 on Sunday.

The event - which previously ran until 1983 typically hosting over 4,000 runners – returned initially to Doncaster in 2019 having been brought back by the team at Curly’s Athletes.

The half-marathon, postponed for over three years due to the Covid crisis, will welcome over 1,000 runners to the streets and roads of Doncaster on the morning of 12 June, all running with their own inspirations and motivations ranging from health to fund-raising goals.

The event – expected to last from 0900 until 1300 on the Sunday lunchtime – has made a few minor changes to the route since taking place in 2019, which includes having a new start and finish location.

Runners will now begin and end their half-marathon from the cycle tracks at Doncaster Dome, before taking in the route which includes part of the A638, Bessacarr, part of the Great Yorkshire Way, Rossington, the B6463 and back again - this is a change from 2019 to include more of Doncaster’s residential communities and reduce the impact on the major roads.

Residents can find a full detailed map of the route by visiting https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/4818643828

Councillor Nigel Ball, portfolio holder at Doncaster Council for Public Health, Leisure, Culture and Planning, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic that Doncaster can welcome back the half-marathon once again, both supporting people to raise money for charity and to keep fit.

"They are events where people of all ages, and for many different and selfless motivations, come together to complete a challenging yet fulfilling goal.

"I wish everybody all the very best on the day and hope that – if this is the first time anyone has been to Doncaster before – they enjoy the sights and surroundings they take in as they visit.”

Road closures will be in place on the day – albeit some, including the lane closure on the A638 outbound, will only be closed for a matter of minutes to allow for passing runners. All road diversions and closures are expected to be removed following the race end at 13:00.

To learn more and to sign up – visit https://doncasterhalfmarathon.co.uk/

The event represents an opportunity for runners of all abilities to get outdoors and reach the goals they have been training hard for and follows a number of exciting events to arrive in Doncaster, coming in the same year as the Rugby League World Cup and the Queen’s Jubilee.

For more information about how to get active in Doncaster visit: www.getdoncastermoving.org

Please see below for a list of roads that will be affected or closed due to the event:

A638 Bawtry Road

Various through roads in Bessacarr, including Ellers Road and Dunniwood Avenue. Following a short full closure, roads in Bessacarr will re-open on a one-way system.

Great Yorkshire Way – between Bawtry Road and West End Lane.

Various roads in Rossington – from West End Lane to the Sheep Bridge Lane junction with Great Yorkshire Way. A one-way system will be in place in Rossington, with vehicles able to travel westbound to access the Borough.

Access to the iPort will remain available on the day.

For a full list of road closures, members of the public can sign up and access a see a full list of areas affected here - https://one.network/tm#tm/plan/edit/127326881

The event is organised and run by the event management team, Curly’s Athletes in support of Club Doncaster Foundation and The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. The event is also supporting the firefly charity and Doncaster Deaf Trust.