Great Birmingham Run offers runners chance for special silverware

The event comprises a half-marathon alongside a Junior and Mini Great Birmingham Run and takes in an iconic route which will include Birmingham sights such as the Bullring, Cadbury World in Bournville and Edgbaston cricket ground.

And there's a special chance of silverware for readers of the Shropshire Star.

We will present trophies to the fastest male and female runners from within our core distribution area.

Chris Thompson will defend his Great Birmingham Run title in the elite men's event, to be broadcast live on Channel Five.

Victory for Thompson in 2015 marked a return to form following a lengthy struggle with an Achilles and calf injury.

While the 35-year-old will be looking to score two Great Birmingham Run victories on the bounce, the likes of Andy Vernon and Bashir Abdi will seek to make life difficult for him.

Vernon returns to the roads having represented Great Britain in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, finishing 25th in the 10,000m. The 30-year-old European silver and bronze medallist will be tackling his first half-marathon since finishing sixth in 2014's Great North Run.

While Thompson and Vernon lead the home hopes, there will be stiff competition from some European big hitters.

Sweden's Mikael Ekvall, who represented his country in the World Half-Marathon Championships in Cardiff earlier this year, will vie with Romania's Marius Ionescu, who won last year's Dusseldorf Marathon, while Ukrainian 10K record holder Roman Romanenko is also expected to compete for honours.

In the women's race, Sonia Samuels takes on a strong European field over the 13.1-mile course. Samuels represented Great Britain in Rio over the marathon and the Sale Harrier will face competition from Belgium's Almenisch Belete, Ukraine's Olha Kotovska and Romania's Madalina Florea.

Meanwhile, celebrities from the screen and stage will also be taking part in the half-marathon, with presenter and fitness author Nell McAndrew signing up.

Emmerdale's Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard, will be supporting the event while Casualty's George Rainsford will also be on the start line. Free Radio presenter Gemma Hill will be joined by Olympic diver Leon Taylor.

Gary Poulton, a contestant on 2015's The Apprentice, will take part in the half-marathon once more.

There will be a strong contingent of charity runners. Birmingham Children's Hospital will have a team of 1,000 runners participating to raise funds.

The Business Challenge returns for the 2016 staging of the Great Birmingham Run, where small, medium and large businesses can enter male, female and mixed teams with prizes on offer to the first three teams in each category.

An engraved trophy will be awarded for the winning team while every company that enters 12 or more employees will receive their own personalised company engraved plate.

The Junior and Mini events take place earlier in the day on Broad Street, where the half-marathon will finish, making it a great family day out. Entries are now open for the inaugural Birmingham International Marathon which takes place alongside the half-marathon on October 15 next year.

Great Run Company communications director David Hart said: "We can't wait to welcome runners from around the world to Birmingham for the Great Birmingham Run.

"We're delighted that this event continues to be a popular addition to the running

calendar."

Entries are still being taken for the Junior and Mini Great Birmingham Run and are available online at greatrun.org or by visiting Up & Running on Temple Street, Birmingham.