Members of Yeovil Round Table have thrown their support behind next month's Yeovil Half Marathon.

Six members of the group will pull on their running shoes and take to the streets of Yeovil for the event, while Round Table colleagues will help organisers by acting as marshals.

Among the runners will be Russell Lee, chairman of Yeovil Round Table.

He said: "At the moment, there are six people in the group who have agreed to run the race.

"I will be running the half marathon with Round Table secretary Steve Farnham, Andrew Parker, Dave Studley, Steve Newman and Richard Bowles.

"The rest of our members will be helping to marshal the event.

"I'm looking forward to the race, it will be the first half marathon I have competed in, and I just want to make it around the course.

"We were involved with the first half marathon last year, and we are always looking at ways to support the local community.

"The event needs a huge amount of staff to make sure it is a success, and we are happy to support it.

"All of us at Yeovil Round Table want to make sure this is a successful event, and we will be there to give a helping hand."

Following its debut success in 2011, the second Yeovil Half Marathon has been scheduled for Sunday, March 25.

The six runners from Yeovil Round Table will join 1,500 competitors expected to pound the streets for 13.1 miles, starting and finishing at Huish Park, the home of Yeovil Town Football Club.

More than 600 people finished last year's race, which provided runners with a chance to compete while raising funds for local charities.

As well as recording a good time, the Round Table members will be keen to raise awareness for the Wish Cash for your Community Campaign, which launches on Thursday, March 15.

The Western Gazette is teaming up with Yeovil Round Table to give away thousands of pounds to make wishes come true for local charities, community groups and other non-profit organisations.

Members of the public are urged to put forward good causes that they think deserve a share of the money.

All entries must be received by noon on Wednesday, April 11. Then a panel of judges, including members of Yeovil Round Table and Lynne Fernquest, editor of the Western Gazette, will select 30 of the nominations.

The shortlisted causes will all receive a guaranteed share of the money and will also have the chance to secure more cash for their organisation.

Supporters will be invited to vote for the organisations they deem the most worthy, and the winner will receive £5,000 for their project.

A runner-up will receive £3,000, and the third place group will be given £1,500.

The money to be given to deserving local causes has been pledged by Yeovil Round Table, which has raised tens of thousands of pounds from events held over the past year. The groups says it hopes the campaign will bring forward deserving causes which it might not be aware of.

With many runners expected to be taking part for local charities, Mr Lee said he was keen to use the Yeovil Half Marathon to spread the word about the WISH campaign, and encourage members of the public to nominate deserving local causes for a financial boost.

He said: "It's important for us to get as many people as possible to know all about the WISH Campaign."

With only five weeks to go until the big race, runners can limber up in a "recce" run on Sunday ahead of the Yeovil Half Marathon.

To provide a final touch of training motivation for participants, organisers say that the run will be the perfect warm-up for the big event.

The recce run will begin at the Nuffield Fitness Centre on Old Station Road at 10am, rather than at Huish Park, but it will use the same route. A shorter route will also be available for those who are not yet ready to tackle the 13.1 mile slog. Runners are advised to wear high-visibility clothing for the warm-up run.

Nuffield Health has been confirmed as an official partner of the Yeovil Half Marathon, and will offer prizes, including a one-year free membership at its health centre to the best-placed runners at next month's event.