Parkrun is due to return to Southampton today with a new route after over a year of restrictions.

At 9am today, the city's Parkrun event will return to the Common for the first time since it was forced to stop in March 2020 due to safety concerns.

Following a successful application to the city council to ask for permission to use the site again, organisers have been planning how they will provide the popular event whilst keeping participants and everyone in the area safe.

Due to worries around the transmission of Covid-19 whilst running, there is now due to be a brand new route on show for the first time at todays event.

Daily Echo:

Starting at the our usual spot on The Flats, the runners will turn right by the Bellemoor Road entrance and head straight up the hill past the Ornamental Lake until they reach the top.

They will then turn right to come back down the hill and at "Sue's Corner", they will turn right again to run along the cross path over the small bridge and then turn right again at the end to head back up the hill for a second lap.

On the second lap, as runners descend down the the hill along Coronation Avenue, they will go straight over at "Sue's Corner" and head down to The Cowherds.

Just beyond the play park, the route then turns slightly right to pick up the path behind the play area before runners will head across to the finish about 30 metres onto the gravel track.

Organisers say this has been done to make it so all those taking park will be facing the same way at all times.

Event Director, Rob Kelly, told the Echo yesterday: "It's been a really long tough road to be fair for us at Parkrun. Obviously with it being on and then off for three times.

"It's going to be an emotional day for everybody I think, specifically for everyone that's going to attend tomorrow, all the runners and joggers. It's going to be a great moment for them to meet up and be part of the Parkrun family again."