Today we are calling on Leeds City Council to re-instate the 22-year-old race. The council yesterday said a committee of watchdog councillors would now review its decision to cancel the run, possibly before the end of this week.

TO ADD YOUR VIEWS AND SEE OTHER VIEWS ON THIS, CLICK HERE.

Its Overview and Scrutiny Committee has "called in" the decision made by council officials. It means after hearing why officers felt it necessary to cancel this year's 13.1 mile challenge, the councillors will face three options – agree to the cancellation, ask officials to reconsider or request that the final decision be taken by the authority's Executive Board.

YEP editor Paul Napier said: "The Leeds Half Marathon has been a well-established, well-run and highly successful event for many years, bringing great credit to our city and deserved applause for the organisers.

"It is madness that the plug should be pulled on this year's event. More than 100 readers wrote to us within 48 hours of the news breaking that the race was off, more in that space of time than on any other issue in the last few years.

"It is all well and good the council saying that it will consult people about whether or not there should be a race in 2009, but why wasn't that done before cancelling this year's event?

"It's not too late.

Leeds City Council website