Baton to take on lap of community fun run
A popular Black Country running event has made a date change to incorporate a special addition to its timetable.
The Black Country Fun Run, which takes place on the streets of Halesowen, has changed from its usual start date of the beginning of July to welcome the Queen's Baton Relay when it passes through the region on July 24.
Organisers Halesowen and Rowley Regis Rotary Club agreed to move the Run date for only the second time since it started in 2012, to accommodate the relay, with the Baton joining the 5K Fun Run for a lap of the course.
The event, which is also supported by Cobra Running Club, includes a 10k road race through Halesowen Town Centre and surrounding roads, starting at 11.30am.
Steve Jones, run organiser and vice-president of the Halesowen and Rowley Regis Rotary Club, said: “Both events have proved very successful for serious athletes and fun-runners alike.
"All are able to raise money for their own charities, we just provide the event to enable them to do so.
“It's extra special this year in that we have been chosen to be part of the Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay route just before the opening of the Games. We would encourage people to either take part or just attend the event.”
Among the runners on the day will be local celebrity Dave Heeley OBE and Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris.
James Morris said: “The Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham this year is an exciting opportunity for the whole region, and I am delighted that the Queen’s Baton will be coming to Halesowen in the final few days.
“The annual fun run is always a great event in our town, with lots of money raised for charity, and having the Queen’s Baton incorporated into the route is going to make it extra special this year.
“After all the difficulties of the pandemic which kept us physically apart, the Queen’s Baton is helping to bring communities together again, and I am confident the Commonwealth Games will leave a great local sporting legacy.”
Halesowen will mark the first stop for the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay which will visit local attractions as part of a series of community activities to celebrate the arrival of the Commonwealth Games in Dudley borough.
The relay route, organised in collaboration with Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, will then continue through Mary Stevens Park, before visiting the historic Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge.
As the relay heads into Dudley, the Queen’s Baton will travel back in time at the Black Country Living Museum, then take in the natural world on its journey through the grounds of the picturesque Dudley Zoo and Castle.
The festivities will continue with a civic event at Coronation Gardens in Dudley town centre, then conclude with an evening celebration at the Waterfront, Merry Hill, featuring live entertainment and music.
For further information or to register, go to theblackcountryrun.com
