MAKING its return last Sunday after more than 20 years, the Minehead Half Marathon has raised over £4,000 for one of the area’s most popular charities.

Over 250 runners competed in the half marathon and a new 10k run over a course which took in Dunster and Blue Anchor and started and finished on Minehead Esplanade, cheered on by enthusiastic crowds in perfect running conditions.

“It was a great event and I’m really proud of what we have achieved to bring the Minehead half marathon back to life,” said Chris Spink, one of the driving forces behind the revival.

“Hopefully this is just the start – we have ambitious plans for next year and our target is an event which will really engage the community and attract runners of all standards.

“We are looking for fields of at least 700 in the future.”

Full report and more pictures are in tomorrow’s Free Press.