The date for Birmingham’s first international marathon has been announced today.

The event, which will start at Alexander Stadium and finish in the city centre, will take place on October 15, 2017.

The marathon will be staged on the same day as the well-established half marathon which takes place annually in the city.

All 2016 half marathon entrants will have an exclusive entry window into the 2017 marathon before general entries in autumn.

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The 26.2 mile route will take in many of the city’s iconic locations including Aston Hall, the Selfridges building, Edgbaston Cricket Ground and Bournville.

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Brendan Foster, chairman of the Great Run Company, said: “Our ambition for the Birmingham International Marathon is to do in the autumn what the London Marathon does in spring – to provide a world-class opportunity for top athletes through to people who just want to participate, people who want to raise money for charity.”

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Ian Stewart, one of the world’s leading distance runners between the late 1960s and mid-1970s, said: “The Birmingham marathon is a great idea and I believe we have a real opportunity to build it into a big international event.

"We’re in a central location in the country and with it becoming more and more difficult to get into the London Marathon, why wouldn’t people come to Birmingham and run?”