THE COUNTDOWN to Darwen gala has begun.

The annual community fun day will take place on August 19 with events currently being announced on their website.

A regular feature of the day is The Catherine Dowdall Memorial Run, which is organised by Darwen running group. The annual run began as a small trail fun and has since developed popular town event. The run is held in memory of Catherine Dowdall, a member of Barton based Razzer's Runners, who was known and loved by many Darwen runners.

The 7.5km run will begin at 1:30pm on the Main Gala event field on Borough Road and will finish in Bold Venture Park, where runner can enjoy a free beer.

Runners must be aged 16 or over to take part and are required to register on the day. There is an entrance fee of £5 and runners are suggested to arrive early as there are only 200 numbers available.

The route will be flagged and marshalled but runners must be able to manage the distance and have a little off road experience.

There will also be a short distance fun run which is ideal for beginners or those who have not visited the park before. The entrance fee for the fun run is £1

Those wishing to take part who are unsure what stage they are at are invited to come along to a Darwen running group session

For more information visit www.darwenrunninggroup.co.uk.