Date October 15, 2017 Event type Road Established 2017 | Location Birmingham Distance Marathon Official site [1] | |
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The Birmingham International Marathon is a long-distance running event held in Birmingham, UK. It forms part of the Great Run British Marathon Series. The first event will be held on October 15, 2017 on the same day as the existing Great Birmingham Run in the city centre.
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Overview
The event was created by the Great Run Company, organisers of the Great North Run and Great Manchester Run. Starting at Alexander Stadium, the home of British Athletics, the course will take in a number of the city's most iconic landmarks before finishing in the city centre.
The marathon was launched in Birmingham to attempt to address the slide in standards over the 26.2-mile distance, with just five male athletes breaking the two hour 20 minutes barrier in 2007, and only eight dipping under two hours 30.
Brendan Foster, chairman of the Great Run Company, said: "Our ambition for the Birmingham International Marathon is to do in the autumn what the London Marathon does in spring – to provide a world-class opportunity for top athletes through to people who just want to participate, people who want to raise money for charity."
Liz McColgan, who broke her first world record in Birmingham in a career which also saw her win world 10,000m gold, Olympic silver, a world half-marathon title and two Commonwealth gold medals as well as the New York, Tokyo International Women's and London marathons, said: "It's important that we have these events on home soil.
"We have to establish world-class racing again in Britain. That is what The Great Run Company is enabling us to do now."
Former distance runner Ian Stewart said: "The Birmingham marathon is a great idea and I believe we have a real opportunity to build it into a big international event.
"We're in a central location in the country and with it becoming more and more difficult to get into the London Marathon, why wouldn't people come to Birmingham and run?"
Course
A mile-and-a-half after leaving the Alexander Stadium runners will pass Villa Park, through Aston, before heading towards the city centre, passing the Selfridges building. Runners will then head towards the Irish Quarter of Digbeth, past the Matthew Boulton College, passing Cannon Hill Park before heading through Selly Park, which leads to Bournville. Runners will then begin their run back to the city centre by passing Edgbaston Cricket ground as they reach the Hagley Road and Five Ways junction, before heading up Broad Street where they will set out on another lap to complete the marathon.