In just a month’s time, Ealing Half Marathon returns. On the last Sunday in September the borough’s streets will once again welcome around 7,000 runners – and you could get involved by becoming one of the community volunteers.

Since it started in 2012 the race has rapidly gone from being a small local event organised by a group of local runners to becoming a firm favourite in the running calendar, winning multiple, national awards along the way at the prestigious Running Awards.

Apart from being the only completely roads-closed half marathon in west London, one of the secrets to the event’s success is the involvement of the local community.

In fact, if you have not signed up to run the half marathon on 30 September, you can still get involved by volunteering to help on the day.

As well as being part of a fantastic local event, you will also receive a free breakfast roll and drink, a special medal, entry into a prize draw and a free race place for the following year.

Indeed, around 700 volunteers – nearly all of whom are local residents – are crucial to making the event happen; providing nearly all of the marshaling to help ensure the 13.1-mile route is clear of traffic and safe for runners, as well as providing water stations, bag drop facilities and staffing the race village in Lammas Park. Volunteers are also a big part of the Mini Mile for children and families the day before, on 29 September. You can sign-up for either day on the official website – simply selecting which day/race you are volunteering for. There are still a few roles available, simply sign up at https://www.ealinghalfmarathon.com/volunteer/

Race director Sandra Courtney said “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the community. People are genuinely really excited to have the event in their town and want to be a part of it.

“Alongside our professional team, which includes race organisers and medics, we have many hundreds of volunteers which is just fantastic. A lot of the participants say that it’s one of the things that helps make the event feel so great to run because the enormous number of local people means that there are crowds along the whole route to cheer you on.”

For more information about Ealing Half Marathon, visit: https://www.ealinghalfmarathon.com

The event involves road closures – keep an eye on Ealing News Extra and the half marathon’s website before the event for more information.