Swindon Half-Marathon race director Peter Robinson believes any one of a host of athletes could cross the line first in Sunday's race.

More than 2,000 runners are expected to pound the streets of Swindon in the race, which is now in its fourth year.

It has steadily grown since its introduction in 2004 and Robinson believes the battle for places at the front of the field is wide open.

"It's a difficult one to call," he said.

"There's some very good club runners entered but no-one who sticks out from the rest.

"We would expect the winning time to be around 1hr 15mins.

"In the fun run, it's likely that Emily Connolly will be the favourite as she's won it for the last three years.

"But in the main race, who knows."

Robinson insists preparations for the race are going well, with a handful of familiar faces expected to compete.

"It's very hectic but things are coming together nicely.

"We've got just over 1,600 runners already registered and, if last year is anything to go by, we are expecting about 600 more on the day .

"So we are hoping to hit the 2,000 mark, which is quite exciting. It should be a good day.

"There are a number of local councillors taking part, along with the Bishop of Swindon, the vicar of Christchurch and BBC Points West weatherman Richard Angwin.

"Richard ran last year and enjoyed it.

"Hopefully he's ensured that the weather will stay good for Sunday."

The half marathon raises money for charity, with this year's nominated good causes being the Clivey Project and the Project Hospice.

And Robinson believes it is an event which brings the whole community together.

He said: "There's a real cross social representation.

"We've got all sorts of all ages running from people in their 70s down to youngsters.

"It really is an event for all shapes and sizes.

"We hope to raise in excess of £25,000 for our chairties, but people can also run for whoever they want.

"A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers who help make sure it runs smoothly.

"It is becoming well established and people look forward to it every year.

"It is a real community event and that's the beauty of it."