A LEGENDARY runner will be honoured by the organisers of the returning Bolton Marathon.

The race has not been run for almost 40 years but is set to return in May 2020, taking a one-lap circuit through the borough.

Now organisers have announced that the winner of the marathon will receive the The Vince Regan Memorial Trophy in memory of the man who founded the event in 1981.

Mr Regan, who died in 2013, organised the massive event — featuring 8,000 runners — from his living room, funded much of it himself and even powered the electricity for the finish line from his own house.

Announcing plans, to name the trophy after Mr Regan, race director Rich Smith said: “Vince was clearly an amazing man who cared greatly about giving back to the community and it is astonishing that he was able to organise an event that was on par with any marathon in the world for much of the 1980s.

“We are humbled to be able to remember Vince with his family’s kind agreement. Without his original ambition, marathons as we know them may not be what they are today.”

The Bolton Marathon entry fee is £55. To enter or volunteer, visit: www.boltonmarathon.com.