Half-marathon runners will pass through the Perkins Engines Company Limited site as part of the Perkins Great Eastern Run 2012. Perkins has been the principal sponsor of the event since 2006, when the race returned to the city’s calendar following a break of 10 years.

The change means that further interest has been added to the route and the potential for an even quicker course. Faster times are expected due to the high quality surfaces on the Perkins site, a reduction in the number of tight corners and the removal of all narrow underpasses from the 2012 course.

The 2012 course will also not extend as far into Werrington due to the addition of the Perkins site, which will mean that some of the road closures that have taken place in previous years will no longer be needed. A map of the new course is available on the Perkins Great Eastern Run website www.perkinsgreateasternrun.co.uk

The decision to take the Perkins Great Eastern Run 2012 through the city’s most famous factory site also marks eighty years since Frank Perkins launched his first engine and Perkins was formed.  Perkins Engines Company Limited moved on to their current Eastfield site in 1947 and at one point employed around one tenth of the city’s population.     

Changes that have already been announced will see entrants start and finish on the city’s Embankment.  By starting and finishing in the same area there will be better facilities available for runners and spectators, as well as creating more excitement for those watching the athletes run through the city centre.

This year’s race will be one of the most competitive ever with the half marathon being awarded Grand Prix status.  The runbritain Grand Prix series takes place over five races and has a combined prize fund of more than £55,000.  The change in status is expected to attract hundreds of additional runners with the Perkins Great Eastern Run being the final race of the 2012 series.

The Perkins Great Eastern Run, which takes place on Sunday 14 October, was also voted as one of the top ten half marathons in the UK last year.

Ennodio Ramos, sales and marketing director from Perkins said the move showed the company’s continued and increasing support for the race; “This is our seventh year of sponsoring the race and our relationship with the Perkins Great Eastern Run is growing from strength to strength.  We hope by making our manufacturing HQ part of the course it will encourage even more than the 80 Perkins runners who took part last year to sign up in 2012.”

Stuart Hamilton, race director for Peterborough City Council, said he was thrilled to see one of the city’s most iconic locations become part of the 2012 course; “It’s shaping up to be the best year on record. We’re a runbritain Grand Prix, we’ve been voted one of the best runs in the country, we’re significantly up on entry numbers and now we can confirm the Perkins Great Eastern Run 2012 will pass through the Perkins site. Generations of Peterborians have worked on the site and they’ll be many runners with family connections passing through on race day. We’re very grateful to Perkins for allowing us to use their site and appreciate all the hard work that has gone in to making this happen.”

Organisers are urging people to sign up sooner rather than later as entries are up over 70% on this time last year. The event includes a 5km fun run and the half marathon also attracts thousands of non-competitive runners.  The fun run will not pass through the Perkins site.