Running shoes at the ready… the Great Birmingham Run is now just four weeks away!
The countdown to the UK’s second largest half marathon has officially begun with organisers revealing more than 15,000 people have now signed up to take part this year, an increase on previous years.
Entries are still open for this year’s event, which takes in the sights and popular landmarks of the city centre and south Birmingham such as Selfridges, Cannon Hill Park and Edgbaston Stadium before a finish in front of thousands of spectators on Broad Street, all covered live on Channel 5.
The 2.5km Junior and 1.5km Mini events take place on the same day as the Great Birmingham Run half marathon, making it a great family day out.
Taking place on Sunday, October 16, the Great Birmingham Run has become one of the most popular events in the city’s events diary, with thousands of people lining the route to cheer on elite athletes, charity runners and first-time entrants.
This year’s Great Birmingham Run will involve runners with incredible personal and heartwarming stories.
Among them is Aston mum Shah Begum who lost an incredible six stone in 18 months after she took up running.
Shah, a Birmingham-born Muslim of Bangladeshi parentage, started exercising and modifying her diet in preparation for her nephew’s wedding.
“My only exercise used to be going up and down the stairs twice a day,” admitted Shah, who ran the Great Birmingham 10K in May to raise funds for Cancer Research.
“But I started getting active the day after my youngest nephew got engaged. There are no photos of me from his siblings’ weddings because I wasn’t happy with how I looked.
“This time I wanted to feature in them and wear something stunning. So I signed up for a bootcamp at my local fitness studio, Mix It Up Ladies Fitness, and haven’t looked back.”
Meanwhile, more than 13,500 people have now signed up for the reminder service for the first ever Birmingham International Marathon, which takes place next year.
Starting at Alexander Stadium, the home of British Athletics, and finishing in the heart of the city, the 26.2-mile event will take place on Sunday, October 15, 2017. It will be staged on the same day as next year’s half marathon.
All 2016 Great Birmingham Run entrants will have an exclusive entry window into the 2017 marathon at noon on Friday, September 30, before general entries open on Tuesday, October 4.
To sign up for the Great Birmingham Run visit greatrun.org/birmingham
For more information about the Birmingham International Marathon, and to register for the reminder service, visit www.greatrun.org/birmingham-international-marathon
Press release issued on behalf of Edwin Ellis Creative Media client The Great Run Company
