BTR Liverpool has confirmed the Mersey Tunnel 10K will go ahead tomorrow.
Thousands of people will be donning their running shoes this weekend as the event makes its return. Many events have been cancelled or rescheduled in the wake of the Queen's death, but organisers have confirmed the race will go on as planned.
In a statement on social media, Alan Rothwell, BTR race director, said: "BTR Liverpool is very saddened by the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We join The Royal Family, the country and beyond, in mourning while remembering her loyal and incredibly dedicated reign at this very sad time.
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"Further to the news, we can confirm this weekend's BTR Mersey Tunnel 10K will go ahead on Sunday (11 September). It feels appropriate that we honour the longest serving monarch in British history in this way – as it was indeed The Queen who officially opened the Kingsway Tunnel on 24 June 1971, which marked its 50th anniversary last year."
Rothwell added: "We hope that our BTR Mersey Tunnel 10K runners will join me and the BTR Team in remembering The Queen at the start of the race."
The event, which has been a staple fixture in Merseyside's sporting calendar since 2006, will take place tomorrow, Sunday, September 11 - with the race starting at 9.30am. Despite traditionally taking place in April, the race is being held in September this year.
After a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020, the event makes its return, offering runners a rare opportunity to travel through the Mersey Tunnel on foot. We've put together a guide to everything you need to know about the event - from the start times and race route, to the road closures and weather forecast on the day.
Road closures
The event start line is positioned at the top of the tunnel emergency exit road on Blackstock Street. Other than Blackstock Street itself, there are no other road closures on the Liverpool side.
Runners will leave the Kingsway Tunnel at Oakdale Avenue shortly after 9.45am, moving towards Dock Road where they will turn left towards Birkenhead Road. The race will then pass through Victoria Place onto the promenade. Runners will use the Perch Rock access road to run across the Marine Lake to get to the finish line on Ian Fraser Walk.
There will be a road closure and diversion plan in place along these roads while the event is in progress. The westbound side of Dock Road will remain open. The northbound side of Birkenhead Road will be passable with care, as the runners will cross from left to right off the roundabout at the bottom of Kelvin Road. Traffic will not be able to pass from Tower Road to Birkenhead Road when the race is in progress.
Route
The event will start just yards from the emergency tunnel exit road on Blackstock Street on the Liverpool side on the River Mersey, and will drop down directly onto the main approach road to deliver a fast descent into the Kingsway Tunnel.
The tunnel takes runners on a journey of just over 3km, before exiting on the Wirral side of the river before the course makes its way along the Dock Road and the Seacombe Ferry Terminal at the halfway point. The 5km point and water station is at the car park just behind the Mersey Ferry terminal on Birkenhead Road.
The second half of the race will take runners along the promenade overlooking the River Mersey, allowing participants to take in stunning coastline views of the iconic Liverpool skyline. The second drinks station is situated close to the 7km mark at the bottom of Manor Road.
The race finishes on Ian Fraser Walk in New Brighton, behind the Marine Point retail park. This means that runners will continue along the full length of the promenade before passing onto the public highway at Marine Promenade, past the Floral Pavilion and along the lake pathway before reaching the finish at Ian Fraser Walk.
Baggage buses will transport the runners' belongings to the finish area once the race begins, meaning they can collect it once they have finished.
Weather
The weather on Sunday morning is forecast to be around 16 degrees when the race sets off at 9.30am. A low chance of rain is expected, at around 9%. Similar temperatures are expected up until 11am, when it is forecast to be 19 degrees in New Brighton with light rain and a moderate breeze.
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