Black Country Run: 72 charities benefit as hundreds step out event
More than one thousand runners from all walks of life were out pounding the streets in force this weekend as they took to the road to complete the Black Country Run.
The run, which last year raised more than £27,000 for different charities, started at 9am for the 10k runners, with the 5K family fun version of the run commencing at 11.30am.
A total of 72 charities were selected by the organisers for runners to raise money for, though they could also choose other charities. Some of the charities supported by the run were: Birmingham Children's Hospital, County Air Ambulance, Barnardo's, Acorns Children's Hospice, Multiple Sclerosis Society and British Heart Foundation.
Local charities were also supported, including: the Beacon Centre for the Blind, Sandwell Parents for Disabled Children, Langley Youth Theatre and Halesowen Cycling and Athletics Club.
Alan Bowler, former president of the Halesowen and Rowley Regis Rotary Club, who organised the event said: "It was a truly fantastic day. It was wonderful to see so many people out in the community enjoying themselves.
"I started the event under the name of the Halesowen fun run in 2012 when we had around 400 participants. It's grown year on year to have 600 people running in 2013 to between 750 and 800 in 2014 and 1,000 in 2015.
" This year we had 1,200 runners.
"Over the years we've raised more than £77,000 for different charities and the community has supported us every step of the way. It's one of the major community events for us and each year it goes from strength to strength. People from across the UK came to compete this year, from London and Cheltenham.
"It's really helping to put Halesowen on the map."
The route began at Benjamins restaurant – which joins Birmingham Street and Birmingham Road, and saw road closures on Pool Road, Great Cornbow, Rumbow, Birmingham Street, Birmingham Road and the Hagley Road between Queensway roundabout and Hagley Street as well as Dogkennel Lane, Summer Hill between Hagley Road and Queensway and between Dogkennel Lane and Powell Street, Waxland Road and Broadway Avenue.
The 10K runners completed two laps of the 5K runners' course.
