Stirling Marathon and Great Stirling XCountry races will not take place next year after the organisers pulled the plug on the events.
The Great Run Company announced the decision today (Friday).
It said the XCountry event, held for the first time in Stirling in January, was no longer viable while the marathon was axed because efforts to turn it into a world-class event had failed.
A spokesperson for the Great Run Company said: “We’ve taken the difficult decision not to stage the Great Stirling XCountry or the Great Stirling Run from 2020.
“For the last 10 years we have been staging world class cross country competition in Scotland through the Great XCountry.
“Unfortunately, the cost of staging this event is increasing at the same time as commercial revenue is declining and the reality is, the event is no longer economically viable for us to stage."
The added: “When the Great Stirling Run was conceived three years ago it was our ambition to build a world class marathon in Stirling. We’ve invested in the event over that time but sadly haven’t been able to deliver that ambition and the event in its current format is unsustainable.
“We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Stirling Council for their excellent support and of course to everyone who has taken part in the event.”
Stirling Council is now in discussions to bring other sporting events to the city. A spokesperson said the decision was "disappointing", adding: “The staging of these events in Stirling has further showcased the area’s credentials and quality as a top-class destination for sporting events.
“We’ve already been contacted by organisations looking to bring new sporting events to the area, which would fulfil our dual aims to boost tourism and promote health and wellbeing through participation opportunities."
See Wednesday's Stirling Observer for more coverage.
