Organisers unveil new and improved route for Great Birmingham Run

The thousands of participants who sign up for this year’s Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run will be heading back to Broad Street after organisers unveiled a new and improved route for the annual 13.1-mile event.

In a reverse of previous routes which finished along Broad Street, the event will now start on the city’s Golden Mile before taking runners to Highfield Road in Edgbaston and down the infamous hill of Lee Bank Middleway, once a challenging incline near the end of the half marathon.

Participants will then do a lap of Cannon Hill Park and Edgbaston Stadium before turning back to the city centre after they reach Bournville.

The Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run finishes on Jennens Road and the Aston University Campus Charity Village.

In addition to the route changes, which were implemented following feedback from participants, the Great Birmingham Run reverts to its popular earlier morning start time for 2018.

David Hart, partnerships director for the Great Run Company, organisers of the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run, said: “We listened to feedback from runners who took part in last year’s half marathon and have worked with our partners at Birmingham City Council and transport agencies to create this new and improved route for 2018.

“The Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run is one of the flagship events in the Great Run series and we are striving to make it more popular than ever.”

The Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run features the Business Challenge, which invites office teams to compete for fastest-time trophies.