This format existed until 1996, when the half marathon ceased and was replaced with two different events: A 10km run around the East of England Showground and a shorter race known as the Arthur Bowden 5.

However, the Great Eastern Run was relaunched in 2006 with the half marathon returning as the main event, much to the delight of keen runners across the country.

[4] At the 2006 England Athletics East Region Awards, the Great Eastern Run's committee (consisting of Peterborough City Council, Perkins Engines and local running clubs) won the Athletics Partnership of the Year Award.

[5] Due to the success of the 2006 event, the Great Eastern Run took place again in 2007, with well over 3,000 runners taking part.

[4] In a poll of the readers of Runner's World magazine, the Great Eastern Run achieved a top 50 rating out of 736 races across the United Kingdom.

[4] The 2008 event again saw an increase in the number of entrants, with approximately 4,450 runners taking to the streets of Peterborough.

[6] Roughly 3,480 runners took part in the half marathon of the 2009 event, with about 1,300 people competing in the fun run.

Detective Constable Rob Davys collapsed during the race and was taken to Peterborough District Hospital.

Organisers reported that at one stage during the event more than 10,000 people were in the crowds on The Embankment as runners crossed the finish line.