Around 1,600 motorcycles are expected to assemble this Sunday at the new Eastern Park and Ride Car Park at Union Hill, Truro to take part in the 28th Annual Martin Jennings Memorial Motorcycle Run.

The first memorial run in 1988, following Martin Jennings fatal crash in the 1987 Isle of Man Manx GP, attracted 30 bikes at the start at Falmouth, finishing at Beacon, Camborne, with 130 motorcyclists, and since then it has steadily grown over the past 28 years to become the biggest charity memorial motorcycle run in Cornwall.

Cornwall Blood Bikes are this year’s chosen charity, delivering emergency blood and medical supplies all over Cornwall when required.

This will be the first year that the new start venue at Union Hill will be used, following concerns of traffic disruption of 1,600 motorcycles exiting Garras Wharf Car Park en masse, which has been the start venue of the run for the past 25 years.

Organiser Dave Saunby says: “I believe that it is a shame that we can no longer use Garras Wharf which generated such a great atmosphere, and I also feel sorry for the general public who turn out in their hundreds to view the bikes in the car park, and line the roads as we leave Truro”.

“Having said that I am extremely grateful to the Duchy of Cornwall, Cornwall Council, and First Bus Group, for the use of the Eastern Park and Ride Car Park, by opening the gates on a Sunday especially for the run”.

Motorcylists start arriving at 8.30am for a 10am start, and will pay £3 solo, and £5 with pillion, with all monies going to and collected by members of Cornwall Blood Bikes.

Fonzie’s Disco will provide the PA system at the start as in previous years, and a tea wagon will also be on site.

The morning loop of the countywide ride, is kept secret because of safety reasons, and to enable it to be controlled better. The best places to view the run will be on the A30 between Chiverton Roundabout, and Camborne West, at 2.00pm. The run will then make its way through Camborne, and up to Beacon (Martin's home village for a 15 minute stop, and a minutes silence in memory of Martin, and all other motorcyclists that have been killed on the roads of Cornwall.

The run then moves off towards Falmouth passing through Troon, Helston, Rame, Longdowns, Treliever, Penryn By-pass, Ponsharden, Greenbank, High Street, Killigrew Street, Western Terrace, Avenue Road, Bar Road, Castle Drive, Cliff Road, Penance Road, Western Terrace, finally finishing at the Falmouth Recreation Ground at approximately 4pm.

In the event of wet weather, the run will be postponed for one week.

Go to the Facebook page when a final decision will be made after the mid morning weather forecast for Sunday.