Paddy Corcoran, managing director of Tees Valley Leisure, was one of a team of 12 people from the north east of England selected to help organise the 2009 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, which took place on 16 January.

Corcoran has helped run the event for the past nine years and aimed to persuade some of the runners to take part in the Redcar half marathon on 19 April. In a bid to attract more international runners, the Redcar prize money has been increased to $1,000 for the winning male and female entrants.

"It's a great privilege to be invited to help organise the world's richest running event and most timely as it is a great opportunity to recruit runners for our own Half Marathon here in Redcar on 19 April," said Corcoran. The Dubai marathon is the richest in the world, held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the race had a prize fund of $1m and a world record bonus payout of an additional $1m, courtesy of Dubai Holding.