Thousands of runners sign up for new Yorkshire marathon

The race will start and finish at the University of York

More than 3,500 runners have signed up to a new marathon in Yorkshire which has been organised by the family of charity fundraiser Jane Tomlinson.

The Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon, which takes place in York on 20 October, was officially launched on Tuesday.

It is being organised by the Jane Tomlinson's For All Events, set up by the Tomlinson family as a legacy to Jane, who died from cancer in 2007.

Her husband, Mike Tomlinson, said the amount of entries was "phenomenal".

Organisers said entries had come from across the UK, France, the Netherlands, Australia, the USA and Bahamas.

Mr Tomlinson said he was "humbled".

"We knew it would be popular, but this is just sensational."

Mrs Tomlinson, from Leeds, undertook a series of fundraising sporting challenges after being told her cancer was terminal in 2000.

She had raised more than £1.5m by the time of her death in 2007.

Jane Tomlinson's For All Events already stages the Leeds, York, Hull and Pennine-Lancashire 10k races and the Leeds half marathon.

The race start and finish will be at the University of York. Runners will pass York's historic city walls, the famous Betty's tea rooms and York Minster, and go through villages in North Yorkshire and the East Riding.