Fine weather is forecast for Sunday when the Fun Run starts off from King James’s School playing fields at 10.30am, followed by the 10k runners an later, competing a new cross country course.

However, the Run might be more of a stagger than a run for three King James’s schoolfriends!

Eloise Bonney, Kirsty Liversedge and Kirsty Beighton, Year 9 pupils, have set themselves a special four-legged challenge to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and have already been promised more than £150 by sponsors.

One of the highlights of the day will be a flypast by a Dakota from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and a return visit from the Black Knights parachute display team. Weather permitting the Black Knights will actually be jumping from the Dakota to land on the school playing fields.

Other attractions include a giant plant sale, car boot sale (pitches £7, arrive from 8am), go-karts, slides, dance displays and live music.

Students will also be busy on the day, with several groups from Year 9 organising fun activities and stalls with all money raised going to Cancer Research UK, in memory of former headteacher Dr David Hudson.

Proceeds from the Fun Run, organised by King James’s PTA, go to buying equipment or assisting projects for pupils that school would not otherwise be able to finance.

Money from last year’s event went towards information screens now sited around school that display artwork, videos, live news and other information.

The run, supported by local sponsors including Piccadilly Motors, network print and design and Lotus Construction Ltd, and the numerous other events also enable many local organisations and charities to fundraise.

Knaresborough Celtic runners will again be out in force, distinctive in their green and white hoops.

Celtic Development Officer Andrew Wright said: “We are delighted as a local community football club to have the opportunity to enter nearly 200 runners in this year’s fun run because as well as supporting the school, it gives us a fantastic opportunity for each runner to raise much needed funds for the club by sponsorship.

“We are currently in the process of developing our new Thistle Hill site which will present the club with new revenue costs, particularly for maintenance. Our maintenance bill could be £5,000 a year and our expected sponsorship monies will go a long way to meeting this cost.

“We are grateful to the public and family members for sponsoring our runners and to the runners themselves for helping to make the fun run such a great community event.”

l If you want to run and haven’t yet entered late entries will be accepted on the day from 9am, until 15 minutes before the start of each race.

Entry to the event for non-runners is £1.50 on the gate or bring along your programme if you have bought one in advance.