Great Birmingham Run 2023: 36 brilliant pictures from the 10K and half marathon & results

Thousands of runners took part in the Great Birmingham Run 2023 on Sunday, May 7.

Although many people across Birmingham of course had their eyes on the coronation this weekend, the run is one of the biggest events in the city calendar and it was a fantastic day with the sun shining down on the 12,000 runners who worked tirelessly to achieve their goals. The AJ Bell event was divided into two routes, with the 10k run taking place alongside the longer half marathon.

The youngsters also had a great time taking part in the Junior Run and Mini Birmingham Run today.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Maureen Cornish JP, set off each wave by ringing a runners’ bell, air horns and high-fives for participants. This year’s Great Birmingham Run featured a new and improved route that celebrated the best of the city, including the historic Jewellery Quarter, the Mailbox, Grand Central, St Martin’s at Bullring, Cannon Hill Park and Edgbaston Stadium.

Runners taking on both distances enjoyed a grandstand finish at Smithfield in Southside – home to 2022 Commonwealth Games beach volleyball and 3x3 basketball.

A new world record was celebrated when 23-year-old Tom Bracey became the first male to complete a half marathon wearing ski boots. The Jewellery Quarter resident’s official finish time of 02:47:11 will now be verified by Guinness World Records.

Tom was one of many Great Birmingham Run participants taking on the challenge in running gear with a difference. The 20,000 spectators lining the route high-fived a Spider-man, Purple-Rain Prince, Darth Vader and inflatable sharks, among many other weird and wonderful outfits.

Pc Jess Davies ‘kept right on to the end of the road’ after completing the half marathon in her Birmingham City shirt to honour murdered six-year-old Blues fan Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and to raise funds for the Arthur’s Angels charity.

More than £10 million has been raised for good causes at the Great Birmingham Run since 2017 and charities will once again benefit from the efforts of the thousands running for good causes this year. Charity cheering buses were on the course – with wonderful supporters representing, Alzheimer’s Society, Birmingham Hospice, Cancer Research UK, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Macmillan Cancer Support – to thank the runners for their fundraising exploits and keep their spirits up and legs pumping.

First male finisher in the 10K distance was Chris Thompson in a time of 00:29:27, with Rachel Gifford the first female finisher in a time of 00:36:30. First male in the half marathon was Omar Ahmed in a time of 01:05:23. First female in the half marathon was Birmingham runner Hayley Carruthers in a time of 01:21:11.

More than 500 children took part in the Great Birmingham Mini and Junior Run – many dressed in regal robes and crowns – for a high-octane sprint across Birmingham city centre, while a host of companies of all sizes took on competitors for bragging rights and fastest-time trophies in the Business Challenge.

You can check all the results by entering your race number at the Great Birmingham Run 2023 page here.

Here are 36 photos from the race today.

All photos from Mark Radford