ON your marks, get set -it’s time to sign up for the 2008 Medway Mile.

Medway will continue its countdown to the 2012 Olympics with a fantastic free day of sporting fun, climaxing with a mass one-mile fun run.

The Medway Mile: Medway Gets Active event takes place at the Black Lion Leisure Centre in Gillingham on Sunday, July, 27 - four years to the day until the start of the Games in London.

Hundreds of people of every size, shape, age and ability completed the inaugural event last year. Families with pushchairs and runners in fancy dress ran alongside Olympic and Paralympic legends Steve Backley and Danny Crates.

Steve, a two-time javelin Olympic silver medallist, encouraged people across the community to sign up and be part of this year’s event.

He said: “There was a fantastic atmosphere at least year’s Medway Mile and it sounds as though this year’s event will be bigger and better still.”

Danny and Steve are both committed to helping Medway make the most of the 2012 Games, and are Medway’s official International Sporting Ambassadors

This year’s mile – once again being supported by the Medway Messenger - will take place at 4pm. But with sport galore available throughout the afternoon and free swimming all day, it promises to be a great day out for the whole family.

From 1pm until 6.30pm, milers will be able to try their hand at everything from hockey to hulahooping as sports clubs and organisations lay on sports taster sessions in indoor and outdoor arenas.

There will also be the chance to sign up to become a sports volunteer, find out about the healthy lifestyle opportunities in Medway and learn more about Medway’s 2012 activities, including the transformation of the Black Lion into Medway Park, an £11 million centre of sporting excellence.

Some of the county’s top club runners will be in action from 3pm competing in a series of separate elite races organised by Medway and Maidstone Athletics Club.

There will then be a mass aerobic warm up ahead of the mass one-mile run at 4pm.

The Medway Mile is free to enter, and everyone who takes part will receive a free souvenir t-shirt in one of the five Olympic ring colours.

BLOB To register online and for more information about The Medway Mile: Medway Gets Active, visit www.medway.gov.uk/london2012.