HEREFORDSHIRE Running Festival has wheels.

To push ahead of last year's success, the Hereford Times backed event returns as Herefordshire Festival of Sport featuring a long distance cycle race the envy of any in the country.

And the county’s own fast-rising NFTO Race Club is ready to go the distance as an event partner – and competitor.

This week the festival unveiled Cotswold Hereford BMW as its title sponsor and confirmed the event – with its range of activities - will be based solely on Hereford’s King George playing fields over September 19-20.

Behind the big day is the same mental health message as last year.

Richard Kelly, executive director of festival partner Herefordshire Mind said:

“We have seen from our own clients the potential running and cycling through  Herefordshire has for self-managing their mental health and wish others to see the benefit."

Peter Redfern, head Of business at Cotswold Hereford BMW, said his firm was “delighted”  to be title sponsor to the festival as part of "what makes Herefordshire so great".

Cotswold, he said, would be entering a “team or two” including himself.

This year’s draw attraction is the Hitter Road Race, a top-level cycle competition organised by NFTO, challenging the best teams and riders in the UK and maybe beyond with 113km of the Golden Valley.

With the added promise of significant prize money, competition is expected to be tight.

John Wood founder of NFTO race club and professional team NFTO, said Hitter was an opportunity to “give something back” to cycling.

“Being part of both the local and national cycling scene, we are in a rare position to be able to attract a top sporting event to the county. It’s unheard of to have a local club organise a race of this scale and we’re extremely lucky to be working with a group of partners and people without whom it would not be possible,” he said.

Running is where the festival's roots are, and the event keeps its feet on the ground with a marathon championship, half marathon, and mini-marathon competitions and a series of races aimed at attracting younger competitors.

Festival director Richard Danks, of event partner Fit+Healthy, said: "On the back of last year’s success it's fantastic to be working with a bigger team in 2015 committed to developing an exciting, unique and inclusive event.”