“You never regret a run”, I tell myself while pulling on my pair of muddy trainers. But what about 13 miles? I am feeling somewhat daunted by the new challenge I’ve set myself in 2025. On Sunday 4th May, I’ll be running (and hopefully completing) my first ever half marathon as the AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run takes to the streets of my home city.
People have many inspiring motivations for running and, during my weekly training, I’ve met fellow Brummies wanting to increase their fitness, lose weight, raise money for worthy charities, and improve their mental health, which is one of the main reasons I exercise.
However, as an art lover, I’m also motivated by the route of the Great Birmingham Run itself. Both the 10k and half marathon will take runners past many of the city’s great cultural landmarks, beginning in Centenary Square.
Last year, I completed the 10k and remember standing at the starting line, where there was a real party atmosphere with music blasting from speakers and crowds gathering. We were also surrounded on all sides by landmark venues: Birmingham Rep, Symphony Hall, The Exchange and the iconic Library of Birmingham, which houses one of the world’s greatest Shakespeare collections.
From here, the route stretches through the city centre and into the historic Jewellery Quarter, which is home to artist studios, craft workshops, a Banksy mural and numerous galleries. Among them, and located on the way, is the historic Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, which has three floors of exhibition space plus my favourite gallery gift shop, which will be visible from the road.
Crossing into the city centre, runners will arrive at the Mailbox, which houses Castle Fine Art’s flagship gallery. Among the works on its walls are canvases by John Myatt, infamous for painting in the style of Picasso, Degas, Monet and other great masters. Having once deliberately deceived the art world with his reproductions, he now sells ‘genuine fakes’, which could still fool some critics.
There’s art to be found outside, too. An impressive 50m-wide black and white mural of Peaky Blinders characters by Jon Jones can be seen on Hill St. Featuring names like Thomas Shelby, Polly Gray and Alfie Solomons, it’s a hit with locals and the show’s creator himself, Steven Knight, who called it “vivid and brilliant”.
From here, runners will stretch their legs past St Martin-in-the-Bullring, Birmingham’s Grade II listed church, which contains art historical treasures that are too often forgotten about – glorious stained glass windows designed by Birmingham’s great Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones.
Nearby stands another overlooked piece of art, the moving Tree of Life Memorial. Created by Lorenzo Quinn in memory of all victims of the Blitz on Birmingham, the statue features a tree emerging from the ground and twisting elegantly into a pair of hands, which hold the world, representing the search for a better future.
My future, at this point, will be in my legs rather than my hands. I will also be moving into new territory as half marathon runners head beyond the city centre and towards Selly Oak and Edgbaston, where Cannon Hill Park covers 250 acres. Set within these leafy grounds is Midlands Arts Centre, where a programme of Spring exhibitions by women artists will be open.
Undoubtedly, by this stage of the half marathon, I’d prefer to wander around a gallery or sit with a latte in MAC’s café. But, hopefully, my legs will still be strong enough to carry me down Pershore Road towards Smithfield, which hosted various events during Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games.
This year, hundreds of children will in fact get to run the world-famous Commonwealth Games running track at the city’s Alexander Stadium, which saw records broken. With this added event taking place on ‘Super Saturday’ 3 May, this year’s run will extend to an entire Great Birmingham Run Weekend.
I can’t wait to see Birmingham’s streets packed with runners, of all ages, who will pass by culture which stands proudly in everyday spaces – on our streets and in our parks, often overlooked but an important part of our city’s story. Whether I am still standing at the end of the race is yet to be decided but I am determined to make it over that finish line!
To find out more, access an interactive route map, and sign up for the Great Birmingham Run 10k or half marathon on Sunday, 4 May, and its Junior and Mini events, please visit: