Great Birmingham Run 10km Sunday 1st May 2022.

A weekend trip over to Birmingham for this race in the Great Run series. We usually hit this run as it ties in visiting family. A bonus that the 10km race was discounted to around £24 (although probably still costly compared to some others).

Always a great atmosphere in Birmingham, plenty crowds out, with the start/finish just on the edge of town by Moor Street station and University on Jennens Road.

The 10k route starts on Jennens Road for a short dip before coming back up and down past Moor Street station then it is pretty flat from there. The route heads out past Digbeth, round Calthorpe Park to the world-famous Edgbaston Cricket Ground which marks the half way point (you actually run in the ground, past all the beer pumps with glimpses of the pitch). The route then heads back through Calthorpe Park and near enough the same route back to aim for the infamous Bullring which marks the 9km point, before a final 1km push to Jennens Road for a grandstand finish.

The final sting comes just after the 9km point with a climb back up towards Moor Street station alongside the Bullring before a final dip to the finish line for 400m.

The half marathon runners all set off at the same time as the 10k runners, with well placed signage before Edgbaston indicating which way turn for 1/2 & 10k runners.

Felt slightly odd finishing the 10km and passing some of the waves still waiting to set off for the 10k & half. The race started at 9:30am, with various waves, I do believe the final wave was 10:30am before the Junior Run started at 11:10am.

The 10km race was won by Jonathan Cornish (Hercules Wimbledon AC) in 30:14, and Jessica Gibbon (Reading RC) in 34:33.

Just two Striders featured in this 10km, a debut for Clare in the old green and gold.

The same number featured in the half marathon too, details below, one did not show on the results with club missing but Dave Birch kindly pointed out Barry Gyte and his age group win V65, well done Barry.

 

Full results can be found here https://www.greatrun.org/results/1024/?search=, with only the top 3 showing gun time/actual position. All other results are in chip time only.