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2019MEDIA GUIDE
Contacts Social Media Timetable About the 2019 Event 2020 Events Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run Course Map Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run Start Area Map Simplyhealth Junior and Mini Great Birmingham Run Course Map Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run Finish Area Map Road Closure and Re-Opening Times Pre-Event Press Release
David Hart Partnerships Director 07771 983688 [email protected] Nicola Hedley Partnerships & Communications Executive 07850 788310 [email protected] Stacey Barnfield PR and Media [email protected] 07788 190540 Bernardo Delgado Strategic Communications Manager [email protected] 07812 078064
Social Media #GreatBirminghamRun
The day kicks off with the Simplyhealth Junior Great Birmingham Run with runners aged 9 to 16 years challenging themselves over a 2.5k course swiftly followed by the youngest of athletes, aged between 3 years and 8 years, taking on 1.5k in the Mini Run. Both events take place in and around the Event Village at Aston University campus, starting and finishing on Jennens Road, the finish line of the half marathon. The main event of the day, the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run half marathon, heads out from the start line on New Street, offering a mix of city centre landmarks and some of the most popular spots in South Birmingham to celebrate all that’s great about running in Birmingham.
Apple Birmingham
128 New Street, as it is officially known, has been a bank, bookshops and now the
Birmingham city centre branch of Apple. It’s a spectacular store restored to its
original banking hall floorplans by the tech giant. This building has all the heritage
protection listings imaginable and, being one of the most beautiful buildings in
Birmingham, it’s clear to see why.
Odeon New Street and Oscar Deutsch
The famous Odeon cinema chain was founded by Balsall Heath-born Oscar
Deutsch, who attended King Edwards VI Five Ways. Oscar’s wife sold the booming
picture house empire to the Rank Organisation after his death in 1941 and it
continues to show blockbuster movies to this day. A hotly-disputed urban myth
claims Odeon stands for ‘Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation’, but those in the
know have dismissed this as a clever PR tagline.
The Rotunda
The Rotunda is as much Birmingham as Ozzy Osbourne and Cadbury’s chocolate.
Built at a cost of £1 million between 1961 and 1965 as part of the Bull Ring
development, the city didn’t originally take to its unique design but it has grown to
become a much-loved and photographed landmark. Many Brummies of a certain
age will remember the giant Coca-Cola branding on Rotunda’s roof.
Bullring
The Bull Ring markets area is one of the oldest parts of Birmingham with a royal
charter to hold a market going back centuries. There’s never been an actual
bullfighting ring here. The name comes from the steel rings used to tether cattle
brought in for sale. Now it’s home to Britain’s biggest chains offering fashion,
footwear and everything else in between. The Bullring Link, connecting the centre
to Grand Central and New Street station, houses a variety of quirky independent
stores selling unique homewares and clothing.
Selfridges
The Selfridges building’s jelly-like exterior covered with 15,000 aluminium discs has
captured the imagination of Instagrammers across the land, making it one of the
top-ten most photographed buildings in the country. The inside is pretty dramatic,
too, with cutting-edge looks and a packed menu of dining destinations
Digbeth
This is Birmingham at its most raw and, to many, most interesting. Metal-bashing
and industrial factories are making way for creative agencies and the bars,
restaurants and residential developments to support a new era of city living. The
Custard Factory is at the heart of all this activity with work units and stores in the
former Bird’s custard factory. Take a walk through the backstreets to find out more
about the Peaky Blinders; once the stomping ground of the notorious gangsters.
Bournville
The Cadbury family not only created the tastiest confectionary in the land, they
knew that keeping their thousands of workers happy would be the secret to sweet
success. And so beautiful Bournville with spacious homes, large gardens and parks,
was created when the Cadbury brothers moved their cocoa empire to a new
factory near Bournbrook (they added the ‘ville’ to sound more continental). They
even relocated the Selly Manor and Minworth Greaves Tudor buildings to
Bournville brick-by-brick.
Cannon Hill Park
Arguably Birmingham’s prettiest park, Cannon Hill was given to the city by the
incredible Victorian industrial philanthropist Louisa Ryland who inherited the land
from her wealthy father. The park includes a boating lake, acres of green space,
mac arts centre and café, as well as a scaled-down miniature monument to the
Elan Valley reservoirs in Wales, from where Birmingham gets most of its crystal-
clear tap water.
Edgbaston Stadium
Home to some of English cricket’s most glorious victories, Edgbaston Stadium is a
firm favourite with fans and players alike, earning a ‘fortress’ nickname and was
the venue of the first senior county game under floodlights in English cricket in
1997 and hosted the first day/night Test match in England in 2017 when England
played the West Indies.
Aston University
Aston University’s contribution to its home city was officially recognised in 1984
when the area was granted its own postal address ‘The Aston Triangle’,
emphasising the campus as an official district of Birmingham. The university’s
triangular logo is inspired by the shape of the area. Previously a college given its
Royal Charter to become a university in 1966, Aston is one of the most popular
academic institutions in the city.
The 2020 Great Birmingham 10k takes place on Sunday 31 May, with the Great Birmingham Run back in the city on Sunday 11 October. Both events open for entry at 10am on Sunday 13 October 2019. Anyone who signs up before 10am on Friday 18th October can take advantage of the 20% early bird discount off the entry fees to one or both events. The Great Birmingham 10k will be staged on an exciting new course that will shine a light on the historic heart of Birmingham, its latest developments and world-famous heritage sites.
To find out more about the Great Birmingham 10k visit greatrun.org/birmingham10k
To find out more about the Great Birmingham Run visit greatrun.org/birmingham
NEW-LOOK GREAT BIRMINGHAM RUN HALF MARATHON TO
SET OFF FROM NEW STREET ON SUNDAY
New route returns to popular Cannon Hill Park and Bournville
Thousands to run for charity or personal lifestyle goals
Corporate teams battle for trophies in ENGIE Business Challenge
Half marathon runners, are you ready? This year’s Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run is just
days away.
The biggest 13.1-mile run in the Midlands takes place on Sunday, October 13, and will see
thousands of participants set off from New Street in Birmingham city centre to raise funds for
charity, beat a personal best time, or meet a healthy lifestyle goal.
The Great Birmingham Run features a new and improved route for 2019, passing the famous
Rotunda, Selfridges and St Martin’s Church before taking runners along Pershore Road and into
south Birmingham.
Following previous years’ half marathons, the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run will begin its
return to the city centre when it reaches the 6-mile mark at the picture-postcard suburb of
Bournville, a favourite spot for spectators to cheer on family and friends.
The new route sees a return to some of the event’s most popular running locations of past years,
including Cannon Hill Park at 9 miles; considered one of the most beautiful open spaces in
Birmingham, and world-famous Edgbaston Stadium at the 10-mile mark; the scene for some of
English cricket’s most memorable matches.
The event features the ENGIE Business Challenge, which pits work teams against each other for
fastest-time trophies and bragging rights in the corporate world. The Business Challenge is the
perfect team-building exercise and can help companies raise vital funds for foundations or CSR
projects.
ENGIE provides energy and services to a growing number of businesses and communities across
Birmingham and the West Midlands. One of these is a long-standing partnership with
Birmingham City Council, delivering low carbon energy across the city, playing a pivotal role in
the city's climate change strategy.
Among ENGIE’s 20-strong team running on Sunday is CEO Nicola Lovett, who said: “I’m really
excited to be taking part in the ENGIE Business Challenge at the Great Birmingham Run, where I
will be running alongside 20 colleagues raising money for our ENGIE Chosen Charities Macmillan,
Mind and The Princes’ Trust.”
A Midlands dad whose daughter was born with a rare heart condition will be taking part in
Sunday’s Great Birmingham Run to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.
Mark Husbands, 36, from Ross-On-Wye, is gearing up to run the half marathon course to say
thank you to the hospital where his daughter Holly, seven, received three life-saving operations
after she was born with a congenital heart defect.
“The doctors and nurses at Birmingham Children’s Hospital have given Holly a new lease of life
and saying thank you just doesn’t seem enough.
“I recently took up running again with my local church group and I’ve planned a series of half
marathons and challenge runs for the next year. I ran the Birmingham 10k for the charity earlier
in the year and just thought running the Great Birmingham Run – in the same city Holly was
treated – would be a poignant tribute to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.”
It’s not only mums and dads who will get the chance to run the streets of Birmingham city centre
on Sunday.
The Simplyhealth Junior and Mini Great Birmingham Run takes place on the same day as the half
marathon, meaning the whole family can enjoy a full day of sporting activity and celebrate in
style with a finisher’s medal.
The 1.5k Mini Run is open to children between the ages of 3-8, while the 2.5k Junior Run is open
to 9-16 year-olds. All finishers receive a medal to show off at school or to friends.
More than 120 children from Nishkam Primary School in Handsworth, Birmingham, and Nishkam
Trust School in Wolverhampton will be wearing the red tee-shirts of city charity Zero Hunger with
Langar at the Mini Run, to help the charity’s mission to improve quality of life around the world.
‘Langar’ is the concept of providing free compassionate food for all people, regardless of faith,
gender, age or social status.
Kate Thornton, Chief Customer Officer for Simplyhealth says: “We’re delighted to be back in
Birmingham for the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run. The Junior and Mini Great Run is sure
to be a highlight of the day.
“This year, we’re proud to have Diabetes UK as our official charity partner for the Series as this
enables us to continue our great work in supporting people with their health. Good luck to
everyone taking part and we look forward to seeing you all at the finish line to celebrate your
amazing achievements.”
Roads will be closed on Sunday, October 13th, to allow all participants and spectators to enjoy
the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run in safety. To find out which roads are closed and the
times they re-open visit greatrun.org/great-birmingham-run/event-info
The 2020 Great Birmingham 10k and Great Birmingham Run will open for entry at 10am on
Sunday 13 October. For more information visit greatrun.org.
–ENDS–
Notes to Editors
About The Great Run Company
The Great Run Series is the world’s favourite run with over 230,000 participants a year taking
part. The events programme stretches across the UK from Aberdeen to Portsmouth offering a
full range of distances from 5k through to the half marathon. A full range of online training
services are available from Great Run Training. Great Run Local is a series of weekly events
staged in our key cities. All designed to provide the support and advice for participants of all
abilities to achieve their personal goal.
To find out more about the events and services provided by Great Run and its partners
visit www.greatrun.org
Great Run, the world’s favourite run.
About Simplyhealth
Since our creation in 1872, we have existed to help people get the healthcare they need when
they need it. We do this by developing products and services to help customers manage their
health; by recognising how we can meet unmet healthcare needs in the long term through our
charitable activities; and by responding to public policy developments in the nation’s health
landscape to promote good, sustainable health outcomes for the many across local communities.
We are the leading provider of health plans, dental plans and pet health plans, and we support
individuals and health professionals directly as well as working with thousands of employers to
help them support the health and wellbeing of their workforces.
We’re proud to donate 10% of our pre-tax profits to health-related charities every year, and this
amounted to over £1 million in 2017. Our Simplyhealth Great Run Series partnership raised an
additional £42.6 million for charity. Our charity partner for the 2018 Great Run Series is mental
health charity Mind. We strongly believe that movement and activity is the cornerstone to better
health and we’ll be supporting runners and supporters every step of the way on their
Simplyhealth Great Run journey.
Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, which is authorised by the Prudential
Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential
Regulation Authority.
For further information, please visit: www.simplyhealth.co.uk.
