Advice to motorists: plan ahead for Sunday's Unleashed Performance Reading Half Marathon
Thousands of runners will be taking over Reading's streets on Sunday for the Unleashed Performance Reading Half Marathon. Residents and visitors are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for any journeys.
Participants taking on the 13-mile course range from elite athletes to enthusiastic amateur runners. Around 12,000 people are expected to take part in the half-marathon which starts and finished inside the Select Car Leasing Stadium. A further 3,000 will be taking part in the shorter Green Park Challenge.
As usual, there will be a number of road closures around the route of the half marathon, full details of all routes and roads affected can be found at: www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/things-to-do/events/reading-half-marathon/
Participants in the main race are due to gather at Green Park for a 10.15am start when they will then embark on a route around Reading, taking in the university campus before they make their way into the town centre. Runners will then travel westwards before heading south to the finishing line via the A33 Relief Road. A full route map can be found at: https://www.readinghalfmarathon.com/pages/reading-half-marathon
A series of rolling road closures and diversions will be in place at a variety of times between 7am and 4pm. Roads will be re-opened as soon as runners have passed through and it is safe to do so.
For up-to-date information and full details of all affected roads please visit www.readinghalfmarathon.com or call the Residents’ helpline on (0118) 937 2771.
Main arterial routes in the town centre will remain open:
North: A4074 Woodcote Rd to A4155 to IDR and A4155 Henley Rd to IDR.
East: J10 – A329 Wokingham Rd – London Rd – Sidmouth St – Queen’s Rd – IDR.
West: J12 – Bath Rd – Honey End Lane – Tilehurst Rd – Water Rd & Grovelands Rd – Oxford Rd – Chatham St –IDR.
Access from the South will be restricted as runners get under way. Visitors travelling into Reading on the M4 are advised to use junctions 10 and 12 until 2pm to avoid delays.
Access to hospitals:
Royal Berkshire Hospital: Access from London Road;
Berkshire Independent Hospital: access from Bath Rd/Berkeley Avenue;
Dunedin Hospital: access from IDR – Castle Hill – Bath Rd access lane (allow for delays).
Circle Hospital: access via Basingstoke Rd and Manor Farm Road.
All town centre car parks will open as normal, apart from Oracle Riverside, which will open at 12.40pm – use Oracle Holy Brook. Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre and access to Link Retail Park will open around 3pm.
