THE longest day of the year has been chosen by organisers of a popular Christmas run to begin accepting entries.

From 10am on Friday, June 21, you can enter The Great Langdale Christmas Pudding 10k run which organisers the Brathay Trust say has become a traditional way of marking the start of the festive season.

Last year, the 30-year-old event attracted 1,000 runners, nearly all wearing festive costumes, and all those crossing the finishing line received a Christmas pudding instead of a medal.

The route is the same as last year’s, starting and finishing at the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel in Ambleside and passing through Elterwater village and Bayesbrown Woods and Farm.

Mark Lamb of Keswick AC was the first back last year with a time of 34:28, and Sarah McCormack of Ambleside AC was second overall and the first female back in 35:41.

The event raised £7,000 for Ambleside based Brathay’s work with young people.

The charity works with 7,000 children and young adults in the north of England every year including many in Barrow and the Furness area.

To find out more and enter please visit https://www.brathay.org.uk/events/christmas-pudding-10k.