Runners in Germany take part in annual Worksop run - virtually

The Worksop Halloween Half, which normally attracted thousands of runners from in and outside the country, was forced to cancel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However in Garbsen, Germany, the runners had taken their own initiative to organise a virtual run at the time when the Worksop half marathon should have happened.

Garbsen is Worksop's twin town and the members of its running club usually come over every year to run in the Worksop Half Marathon and stay with organisers, Worksop Harriers.

There are also club links to Bruge, Belgium and Cottbuss in east Germany, where runners are usually sent over for the Worksop half.

Worksop Harriers Chairman Peter Fendley said their relationship with the clubs started back in 1982, the first time the run was held.

"We have been doing the half marathon since we first met the Germans back in 1982, and they came to Worksop, then we were invited to Germany in 1983 to run at their event.

"So almost 40 years, we have been going back and forth, including to other countries such as Belgium, east Germany and Russia.

"They decided to do a social run since we couldn't do a proper race," he said.

He said if not because of the coronavirus pandemic, the club would have been in Belgium at the moment to run the Ploegstreet Remembrance Half Marathon held on Nov 11 every year.

The course goes around the battlefields and cemeteries from WWI.