A major new half marathon in the region, the Great East Run, is set to launch in Ipswich this year, it has been announced. In a major coup for Suffolk, the 13.1 mile flat and fast course will see around 2,500 runners in its inaugural year take part in the mass participation event on Sunday, September 24. The event is being organised by the Great Run Company, which is responsible for The Great North Run in Newcastle, which attracts 57,000 runners, and The Great South Run in Portsmouth, which now features 25,000 runners after a similar small-scale launch in 1990.