The 8th Special Olympics Great Britain National Games was held in Leicester between the 25 and 31 July 2009. Over 2,400 athletes representing 19 Special Olympics regions across the UK have visited the city of Leicester over the seven-day period along with 1,200 coaches and 1,500 volunteers. Leicester's landscape has changed dramatically since the city first hosted the Games in 1989. From the rich diversity of its population, to the magnificent ongoing 3 billion regeneration programme, Leicester was a city rising to the challenge on many fronts.