The Bishops Cannings 5,000 metre dash, thought to be the oldest foot race in Wiltshire, will set off for the 28th time today.

The race began in 1983 when a small group of 20 or 30 runners decided to race round the village as part of the church fete.

It has grown to be one of the most popular runs in the county and more than 100 runners of all ages are expected to line up at the start at 3.30pm.

Francis Goddard, who has been involved in organising the race since its inception, said: “The race is always run on the second Saturday in July with the start time of 3.30pm being methodically adhered to.

“Such is the fine tuning of the contestants as they build up towards this annual event that any different start time could throw their preparations out of the window.”

Previous class winners include Olympic silver medallist Shelley Rudman, who won the girls’ category in 1991, 1993 and 1994.

Catherine Russ, better known as a competitor in the Devizes to Westminster canoe race, won the same category six times in a row.

The record holder for the race is Alasdair McLean-Foreman, a Bath athlete who completed the 5,628 metre course in 18 minutes and 21 seconds in 2005.