GROUPS are being offered money to volunteer in this year's Belfast City Marathon as the number of runners more than doubles.
For the first year ever, organisations including churches, community groups and athletics clubs are being urged to take up the incentive, which will see them receive a £100 cash boost.
In return, they must provide between six to 10 volunteers for the race day on Sunday May 5.
They will also receive one free entry to the marathon, team relay, eight-mile walk, fun run or wheelchair race.
A spokeswoman for the organisers of the race explained that the donation is not geared towards charities because the marathon has already designated five official charitable groups for 2019 - Belfast Arthroplasty Research Trust (BART), Cancer Focus NI, Stroke Association, Air Ambulance NI and Action Mental Health.
"There are hundreds and hundreds of junctions that need to be manned along the route and we require a lot more volunteer involvement," she said.
The marathon, now in its 38th year, will be more than twice the size of previous years, with around 6,000 runners pounding the streets, compared to 2,800 last year.
The starting point has switched to the grounds of Stormont Estate and the race day will be on a Sunday rather than Monday.
The route has also changed considerably and will be flatter and faster.
"For a long time we were getting feedback from the runners that they wanted the route changed. Two routes in particular were highlighted - the Antrim Road which was very hilly and Duncrue which was considered too quiet," the spokeswoman said.
"The new route is very much community led and we would welcome any involvement from people living along it."
