The 13.1-mile challenge will take place on Sunday September 7, Leeds City Council has confirmed.

About 5,000 competitors are expected to take part in the event, which had originally been postponed.

The council faced a backlash in January after it announced there would be no half marathon in 2008 as the authority wanted to concentrate instead on the Jane Tomlinson Run For All 10k, which takes place on June 22.

Outraged runners, backed by the Yorkshire Evening Post, called for the popular event to be reinstated.

Yesterday, the council said it was delighted to be able to announce the new date for the event, which has in recent years taken place in May.

"This is great news and I'm really pleased that Leeds will be hosting both the Run for All and the Half Marathon," said Coun John Procter, the council's executive board member for leisure.

"We listen closely to public opinion and we took notice of the support for the half marathon."

Coun Procter said he wanted to thank Kippax Harriers running club, which has agreed to rearrange the planned date of the Leeds Country Way run so that it did not clash with the half marathon.

The Country Way run, which was due to take place on September 7, will now be on August 31.

Members of the north-Leeds based Valley Striders running club were among those that campaigned for the half marathon to be reinstated.

Club secretary Geoff Webster said: "The main thing is that the race is going to take place.

"This is a race that thousands of club runners look forward to every year. The new date doesn't seem to clash and we hope there will be a big turnout."