Junior runners in this year’s Town and Gown fundraiser will compete at a school in north Oxford.
The main 10k race will take place on Sunday, June 27, with event safety specialists planning a Covid-secure event in line with the Government’s easing of lockdown.
But the junior 3k race won’t take place until September.
This is the 39th year of the Town and Gown, which raises funds for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
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Up to a thousand runners have already registered to hit the streets of central Oxford for the main run next month.
For the first time, this year’s junior race is to be held at Summer Fields School, a boarding and day school for 340 boys aged four to 13.
It will be held on Sunday, September 19.
Town & Gown 10k runners in 2019 Picture: Muscuar Dystrophy UK
MDUK head of events Krishan Solanki said: “We’re thankful for the support from Summer Fields School, who have given the opportunity for us to still deliver the Junior 3k race for Oxford in 2021.
“They have incredible grounds that are close to our usual venue of university Parks, so we hope many youngsters will join the race this September. It was quite something to see videos of the boys running last year, some of them locked down in overseas homes, including Hong Kong. Summer Fields School has a wonderful tradition of involvement with the event.”
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Pupils have an impressive track record with Oxford Town and Gown’s Junior 3k race.
They have entered the largest school team for three years running before last year when, along with every other mass outdoor participation event, it was forced to become a virtual event
Undeterred, and after training during online PE classes at home, more than 140 boys laced-up their trainers and tackled the race from their gardens and driveways, between April 6 and May 6, 2020. Summer Fields headmaster David Faber said: ‘Over the past few years we have enjoyed developing our relationship with the Town and Gown.”
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Junior race registrations are open at townandgown10k.com/oxford.
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