BLACKBURN is getting ready for a sporting celebration like no other.

As part of the month-long Celebrate Blackburn festival, a number of high profile events will be held in the town in the coming weeks.

An elite road race and a top class cycling grand prix will be held in the town centre while King George’s Hall will host boxing and the biggest amateur darts competition to be held in Blackburn.

Four time world champion Raymond Van Barneveld will the star attraction at the darts while Amir Khan and Michael Jennings are expected to make an appearance at the boxing.

The sporting extravaganza, which is being run by Blackburn and Darwen Council in cooperatation with a number of sports clubs, gets under way on Sunday when a series of road races take place in and around the town centre — culminating with the elite race which has some of the top runners from around the country taking part.

However, the event is for all the family with a school race and open race for runners of all ages and abilities.

Richard Taylor from Blackburn Harriers, who are joint organisers of the race added: “The day's events should be a superb advertisement for athletics in Blackburn and we are delighted to be assisting the council with this.

“The races are structured to allow anyone to take part, whatever their level of ability, so the whole town can be involved.

The club is particularly excited about the town schools team competition in the junior races, which allows all borough schools to put forward teams, free of charge, for a town championship trophy.”

There will be prize money for the 5K race, the first five men and women will receive prizes of £50, £40, £30, £20, £10 with cash prize of £60 to the winning make and female teams. Prize money for placed athletes will also be included.

In addition to the schools team competition, there will also be individual awards for first, second and third boy and girl in all the junior races.

The King George’s Darts Classic takes place at King George’s Hall on Thursday, July 17 where the top eight Blackburn Premier League darts players will battle it out for prize money totalling £1,000.

And each player, along with six prize winners on the night, will get to play the legendary Van Barneveld.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for local darts players,” said Brian Gouldthorpe, secretary of Blackburn Premier League Darts who has coordinated the event. “Barney is a legend and to play against him really is the chance of a lifetime.”

And boxing fans may get the chance to get up close and personal with Amir Khan and former world boxing champion Michael Jennings from Chorley at the boxing event to be held at King George’s Hall on Friday, July 18.

Audley Amateur Boxing Club is hosting the event which will include fighters from across the North of England. The event is free and tickets are still available from King George’s Hall.

“We’re hoping to have 18 bouts with fighters from Audley taking on boxers from clubs from all across the region,” said Yacoob Hussain, head coach at Audley ABC. “We are hoping Michael Jennings will be there as well as Amir Khan. He should be a very special night.”

And on Wednesday, July 23, a whole host of cycling activities taking place in and around Blackburn town centre on a specially constructed circuit to provide riders with a competitive Grand Prix cycling circuit to rival the best.

The main event will see professional cyclists fight it out to become the Blackburn Grand Prix champion but the event kicks off with children demonstrating their bike skills on a British Cycling ‘Go Ride circuit And as well as the activities there will be opportunities for members of the public to ride round the town centre behind a rickshaw with police motorbike outriders to get the full real life experience of participating in a peleton just like experts.

For ticket information about the boxing and darts, contact King George’s Hall box office on 08448 471664.