The stage is set for a Super Saturday for Mini & Junior Runners at Alexander Stadium
27 November 2024
- Entries now open for next year’s AJ Bell Junior & Mini Great Birmingham Run
- Event moves to 3 May and will be held at Alexander Stadium for “Super Saturday”
- Limited places available for Mini & Junior Events, which sell out each year
With less than 6 months to go until next year’s AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run, a new format has been announced for the event’s kids’ run. The Junior & Mini event will now take centre stage on the Saturday of Great Birmingham Run weekend, staged at the city’s world-famous Alexander Stadium.
Now scheduled for Saturday 3 May, the kids’ event will act as a curtain raiser for the 10km and half marathon routes the following day – where record numbers are expected on the start line after over 14,000 runners took part this year.
Billed as “Super Saturday” by the organisers, entries are now open for both the junior and mini distances via the Great Run website. Minis (aged 3-8) can take on a 1.5km route, while juniors (9-15) face a 2.5km challenge.
The Alexander Stadium in Birmingham was the centrepiece of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, hosting the thrilling athletics events that captured the attention of spectators on TV around the world, all under glorious summer skies in Perry Barr.
The stadium, newly renovated for the occasion, buzzed with excitement as athletes from across the Commonwealth competed in a wide range of track and field events, among them Great Run ambassador Eilish McColgan, who won a glorious gold in the 10,000m.
Asked about the decision to switch the kids’ event to the Saturday, Paul Foster, CEO at the Great Run Company, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to give Birmingham’s Junior & Mini event an opportunity to take centre stage on Saturday as its own standalone event. This gives our younger runners their own time to shine the day before the main event, and we hope this will allow more families to take part without impacting their plans on the Sunday.
“Being able to hold the event at the brilliant Alexander Stadium is a huge positive for the Great Birmingham Run, and I’m sure young runners will relish the opportunity to run on the same track which hosted the 2022 Commonwealth games. We’d like to thank everyone at the Alexander Stadium and Birmingham City Council for their support in putting on next year’s event.”
Having celebrated its 10th staging this year, the Junior & Mini event has seen thousands of young runners cross the start and finish line since its inception in 2013, raising tens of thousands of pounds for local and national charities over the years.
The event has formed an important part of the fundraising calendar for many local charities, with one beneficiary being Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Speaking about the importance of the Junior & Mini events and the Great Birmingham Run as a whole, Annie Eytle, head of public fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity based in Colmore Business District, added: “We’re so excited to be partnering with the Great Birmingham Run again. It’s one of the most popular events in our fundraising calendar, as so many of our local families use it as an opportunity to say thank you for their child’s care.
“The kids’ event is very close to our hearts as a children’s hospital charity. We’re pleased to see that it’s been given its own time to shine on the Saturday of Great Birmingham Run weekend.
“The money raised from the event will help to create a kinder hospital environment and better treatments for our sick kids. We’d like to thank everyone that has supported us as a charity over the years at this event, and we hope to see many of you on the start line in 2025!”
Entries for next year’s AJ Bell Junior & Mini Great Birmingham Run are now open. The 2024 event sold out months in advance and with a limited number of spaces available, sign up now to secure your place.
