Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K route revealed
A new and improved route for the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K has been revealed.
Organisers of the annual 10K, which takes place on Sunday, May 26, have worked with Birmingham City Council to create a new route that will showcase iconic locations such as New Street, the Rotunda and the Bullring Bull.
This is the first time the 10K will take runners and walkers through the historic heart of Birmingham city centre and along New Street.
In another first for the Great Birmingham 10K, there will be two start lines – both on Colmore Row either side of its junction with Bennetts Hill. Depending on which side of Colmore Row participants start they will assemble along Waterloo Street and Victoria Square or towards Birmingham Cathedral.
Organisers will release a running wave from the Cathedral stretch of Colmore Row then alternate with another wave from Waterloo Street and Victoria Square.
The route then follows Bennetts Hill and turns left on to New Street, crossing Corporation Street alongside the Apple store, the grade II-listed building built in 1869 as the head office of the Midland Bank.
After passing the Rotunda and Bullring, runners will see the brand new Primark Pavilions development on High Street, due to open in April with the world’s biggest Primark store, among other new retail and leisure attractions.
Participants will also go past Birmingham Children’s Hospital before leaving the city centre to continue along the A34, and a grandstand finish back in the city centre at Aston University.
More than 8,000 participants signed up for last year’s 10K, making it the biggest to date.
David Hart, partnerships director for the Great Run Company, organisers of the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K, said: “It will be a Great Run first to have two start lines for one event and also the first time we will see participants run along New Street. We are pleased to be able to feature some of the more iconic parts of Birmingham on the 10K route.”
The Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K also features the Business Challenge, which pits corporate teams against each other for fastest-time trophies in small, medium or large business categories.
