THE first Bournemouth and Poole marathon is being planned for next October and is expected to attract thousands of athletes.

A route and exact date is still being worked out but the organisers behind the event are aiming to come up with an iconic 26-mile course that takes full advantage of the area’s natural beauty.

It is also hoped the marathon will be part of a festival-style event that will appeal to the wider community and draw visitors to the area.

The event is being planned by Parkstone-based Martin Yelling in partnership with the organisers of the hugely successful Edinburgh marathon. Martin is the husband of double Olympic marathon runner Liz and also runs an endurance sports coaching and consultancy company.

He said: “We are still in the very early stages and there is a lot of work to be done but, yes, we can confirm there will be a marathon going ahead in October 2013. It will be a mass participation running event encompassing the boroughs of Poole and Bournemouth.

“We’re going to be looking at ways of involving local communities in what will hopefully be a world class event and we’re really looking forward to bringing something significant and exciting to the area.”

The Edinburgh marathon takes place over a weekend in May and attracts around 35,000 participants. Martin said the experience of race director Neil Kilgour would be invaluable in launching a brand new event in Bournemouth and Poole.

He also believes the area’s natural beauty makes it a perfect location for a marathon.

“We are fortunate to live on the south coast, with its beautiful views and stunning outdoor environment,” he said. “Anything we can do to promote healthy living and enjoying the outdoors has got to be a good thing.”

Jon Weaver, marketing and events manager at Bournemouth Tourism , said: “This is a great opportunity to bring a major event into the area and we’re looking forward to working with Martin and making it a big success.”