The final race in this year's edition of the Birkirkara 5K Road Running Series will be held on Thursday, December 13, starting at 9 a.m. from St Helen Square in Birkirkara.

Previously held on the Birkirkara by-pass, this traditional race had to be re-routed due to the opening of the Mater Dei Hospital which has a main access on this by-pass.

The organising board decided to use the Birkirkara heritage route for the race.

Starting in front of the St Helen Basilica, athletes take a sharp right turn down St Roque Street and turn right again at Msida Street.

Then it's up Main Street keeping to the small chapel past the police station to the right as far as St Francis Square. Another sharp right-hander leads the athletes back to St Helen Square for the first kilometre.

This route has to be covered five times, finishing in front of the Basilica.

The race route will be closed for traffic by the police.

Leading contenders

Jonathan Balzan (St Patrick's AC), Gerald Grech (AS Libertas) and Brian Magri (Athleta Pembroke) are leading the men's race in that order.

Balzan's overall time is 31 minutes 35 seconds, three seconds ahead of Grech.

Magri has accumulated 32 minutes 15 seconds.

Joelle Cortis (Athleta Pembroke), with a time of 37 minutes 58 seconds, is leading second placed Angela Sammut (St Patrick's Athletics Club) by 20 seconds in the women's classification.

Carmen Hili, of St Patrick, is third in the overall classification with 38 minutes 30 seconds.

Entry forms will be accepted up to 30 minutes before the start of the race.

The organisers can be contacted through the club's website www.bkarastjoseph.com or on telephone number 9946-6256.

The Birkirkara St Joseph 5K Road Running Series is organised in collaboration with the Birkirkara Local Council and under the auspices of the Malta Amateur Athletic Association.