ONE of Oxfordshire’s running clubs has complained that the much-anticipated Oxford Half-Marathon spoilt its own big day.

The half-marathon took place on Sunday for the first time since the 1990s.

And organisers of the Longworth 10km run found the turnout for their charity run – held on the same day – was down on the previous 11 years.

Longworth Runners secretary Richard Kenyon said the event had always been held on the third Sunday in September.

He said: “We have been very careful to make sure we don’t clash with anything.

“We raise money for a local educational charity and the charity will probably lose a couple of hundred pounds.

“It is a big thing for us. We put a lot into it.

“But we support the idea of a half-marathon. We support anything that encourages running.”

The 10km run, which raises money for the Hinton and Longworth Educational Fund, usually attracts around 100 runners, but this year’s event only drew 65.

Longworth Runners only found out about the Oxford Half- Marathon a few months before it took place by reading about it in the Oxford Mail.

They chose to stick with their original date in case it clashed with another event.

The half-marathon also clashed with the Finstock 10k which is run in aid of Finstock CofE Primary School.

Andy Heyes, who organised the half-marathon, said: “The date was a date that was agreed with the council.

“We checked it with the Association of Running Clubs to see if there was anything it conflicted with and the answer was no.

“The racing calendar is so busy now that you are bound to clash with something. We may look for another date next year.”

Unlike the Longworth 10km race, the Oxford Half-Marathon was licensed by ARC, not by athletics governing body UK Athletics.

Michael White, secretary of ARC, said: “There are so many races these days but I am sure they tried to avoid clashing with races in the area.

“A 10km race and a half- marathon are different.

“The two races would have completely different audiences.”

UK Athletics declined to comment.

Nearly 2,000 runners were joined by two-time Olympian Liz Yelling in the Oxford Half-Marathon.

The race, which started at the Kassam Stadium, is expected to raise around £10,000 for East Oxford hospice Helen & Douglas House.