Entries for this year’s Balmoral Road Races on Saturday 24th April are booming and we expect all available places to be scooped up well before the official closing date.
 Over 1500 runners have already signed up for the increasingly popular event held within the spectacular grounds of the Royal estate on beautiful Deeside.
 That represents a 22% increase on the number of entrants at the same stage last year, prompting Event Manager Alastair Simpson to advise runners to get off their marks quickly if they want to take part. 
 He said:”The event just seems to keep on growing in popularity and it looks like all the places will be taken up well before the 9th April closing date.”
 It’s a view supported by Garry Marsden,visitor enterprise manager for Balmoral Estates.
 He said:”This is the 13th year of the Balmoral Road Races and they just seem to be getting more and more popular. In 2008 we had more than 3,500 runners of all abilities taking part and a further 3,500 spectators.
 ”Last year the 10k and 5k races were sold out well before the closing date, so I’d advise runners to enter as quickly as possible to avoid being disappointed.”
 There are 2,400 places available in the Stena Drilling Tartan 10k and 800 in ConocoPhillips 5k.
 The 10K as usual carries a special proze for the first kilted man and woman to finish what is billed as the unofficial world kilted 10k championships.
 The programme of events also caters for younger runners with 500 places up for grabs in the Active Schools Aberdeenshire 2.5k for secondary pupils and there are 750 places in the MTM primary schools 1.5k.
 The Pihl invitation wheelchair 10k is also expected to attract a top class entry.