The excitement is building as we hit the two-month mark before the AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run 2025, set to be the biggest and best in a decade.

On Sunday 4 May, thousands of runners will take to the streets for this iconic event, celebrating fitness, community spirit, charity fundraising and the energy of Birmingham.

With record-breaking participation expected, this year’s run will see charity fundraisers, first-time participants and seasoned half-marathon runners come together for an unforgettable weekend.

From the half marathon to the 10K, every step will take runners past Birmingham’s most famous landmarks, with electric crowds and live entertainment along the way.

This year there’s an added attraction to Great Birmingham Run Weekend with a “Super Saturday” at the city’s Alexander Stadium as hundreds of children will get to run the world-famous running track, home to Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games records and heroics from some of the greatest athletes in the world. The Junior and Mini Great Birmingham Runs take place on Saturday 3 May.

Inspirational runners taking on this year’s Great Birmingham Run weekend came together at the Alexander Stadium to see the famous running track and to talk training with Great Run partners ROCUP – a free, weekly running club, which stands for “Rise Over Challenges”.

Among them was Simon Brown, a dad from Bromsgrove, who will be lacing up his trainers in two months’ time to take on the Great Birmingham half marathon to say thank you for the lifesaving heart surgery his son received at just nine-weeks-old.

Calan, now aged five, was born with a ventricular septal defect, meaning he had multiple holes in his heart which needed closing. It was a scary time for the family, but thankfully the surgery was a success, and he only needs to attend the hospital for check-ups.

The money raised will go towards Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity’s £3m It Starts Here Appeal, which will transform the hospital’s front entrance to help reduce the fear and anxiety of the 100,000 sick kids who are treated at the hospital every year.

You can donate to the appeal or learn more by visiting bch.org.uk

While they may be fierce rivals when they meet on the pitch, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers stand united in their support for grassroots community projects and nurturing the next generation of football fans.

The four football clubs are on a mission to encourage their fans to take part to fundraise for their respective community foundations.

The clubs are calling on their supporters to support grassroots sports schemes by tackling the 10k, half marathon or Junior and Mini runs as part of each club’s running teams and join club ambassadors and former players at the Great Birmingham Run this May.

Katharine Merry, former world number one in the 400m and bronze medal winner at the 2000 Sydney Olympics is now an Aston Villa Foundation ambassador.

She was joined by club legend Tony Daley to help promote the work of the foundation as the Great Birmingham Run hits to the two-months-to-go mark.

Find out more and sign up for the Great Birmingham Run 10k or half marathon on Sunday 4 May, and its Junior and Mini events, which this year take place at the Alexander Stadium on Saturday 3 May, visit greatrun.org