MOTORISTS are urged to be cautious when road closures are in place for the Taunton 10K this weekend.

The 31st Deane DLO Taunton 10K event will see 700 runners set off from Blackbrook Pavillion at 11am on Sunday.

The course takes runners around Chestnut Drive, Upper Holway Road, Holway Avenue, South Road, and Stoke Road before heading out to Stoke St Mary, then back along Haydon Lane, past the golf driving range, to the finish at Blackbrook Pavilion.

Marilyn House, chairman of Taunton Carnival Committee, which is organising the event, said there has been a record number of entries this year with all 700 places being filled before the closing date.

“It’s an amazing show of support for the event, especially when there are other races not too far away,” she said.

“Taunton AC, Running Forever, Taunton RC and Somerset RC Tri are well represented and we have some ‘visiting’ clubs from Devon.”

Race director, John Lewis, is asking motorists to be careful when driving on race day.

“Races are generally run on anti-clockwise courses to reduce conflict with traffic as much as possible,” he said.

“We have a 30-minute road closure at the Blackbrook Way/Lisieux Way roundabout so we can get the race under way safely.

“There are only two points on the route where traffic is held up for runners, at the Upper Holway Road junction and in Chestnut Drive as we have to get runners from one part of Stoke Road to the other.”

Here is a list of road closures that will be in place on race day:

  • Blackbrook Way will be closed from 10.45am to 11.15am from its junction with Lisieux Drive to its junction with Redlake Drive.
  • Stoke Road in Stoke St Mary will be closed from 11.15am until noon from the Stoke House Lane junction to the Haydon Lane junction.