Suffolk County Council are giving 50 inactive Suffolk residents the chance to change their lives by taking up the challenge of a half marathon.

Participants will be signed up for a supported run training programme in Ipswich, with the aim of completing the Great East Run on September 16, 2018.

Aspiring runners will receive expert weekly coaching sessions and specialist diet support over the course of four months, plus advice by double Olympic long-distance runner Paul Evans.

It is hoped that the programme will provide an opportunity for ordinary people to embark on a life changing journey, which will see them complete the half marathon alongside 3,500 other runners.

Tony Goldson, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health said: “We have seen the transformation that mass participation events can have on individuals lives and this programme provides an incredible opportunity for 50 Suffolk residents to take that first step to an active lifestyle and all the benefits this can provide”.

Valued at over £300 per participant, the opportunities are being made available at a one-off charge of £30 per person.

To apply for a place on the programme, visit www.suffolksport.com/ger2018.