East Anglian accountancy firm Larking Gowen is to be title sponsor of the annual Ipswich Half Marathon for an eight year

This year’s event takes place on Sunday, September 8, with the race starting and finishing at Christchurch Park in Ipswich.

Alongside the title sponsor, the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon is hosted by the Ipswich Jaffa Running Club and Ipswich Borough Council, and, for the second year running, Macmillan Cancer Support, is the event’s charity supporting partner.

The history of the race dates back to 1985 when the region’s first half marathon was hosted by Duke Street Running Club in Norwich and has subsequently developed in to races, with the Ipswich event being added ini 2008.

The event also incorporates variety of additional leisure and corporate activities, including the Business Challenge, an inter-company contest, and the child-friendly Fun Run, is a 1.5km race which takes part on the morning of the half marathon.

Sharyn Scott, Larking Gowen’s, business development manager, said: “Larking Gowen is proud to sponsor this popular community event.

“We have watched the event grow from strength to strength over the past eight years and last year was the biggest participation yet.

“The event does so much good for Ipswich by raising much needed charity funds – it’s fantastic that the funds raised for MacMillan went directly towards the development of the Woolverstone Centre which will benefit so many local cancer patients in the future.”

She added: “The event is a real community effort with many volunteers helping on the day and we hope that even more families will come along and participate in the family fun run again this year.

“We also want to make the Business Challenge the biggest yet and call for any keen runners to get together within our business community and enter a team!”

Carl Ashton of Ipswich Jaffa, race director for the event, said: “We at Ipswich Jaffa Running Club are delighted to be working with Larking Gowen once again to deliver one of the largest mass participation running events in the East of England.

“Last year we had nearly 1,800 race participants alongside a very popular family fun run and we anticipate the 2016 event will be even bigger and better.

“The number of runners, the volunteers and the spectators all contributed to the 2015 success and we expect this year’s event to sell out - sign up soon to avoid disappointment.”

Emily Ford, challenge events manager at Macmillan, added: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be the partner charity at the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon for the second year running.

“In 2015 Team Macmillan runners raised over £15,000 to help build the Woolverstone Macmillan Cancer Centre at Ipswich Hospital. The centre is due to open later this year and we’re pleased that we will be able to direct the money raised at this year’s race towards the centre again.

“In Suffolk, 12 people hear the devastating news that they have cancer and six people die from the illness each day. We’re calling out for runners to run for Team Macmillan and raise funds for a service that may one day give support to them or their families.”