On a cold, drizzly Sunday morning approximately 12,000 people, many of them residents of the Midlands, hit the streets of Birmingham to run in the EDF World Half Marathon. Amongst these runners were the ten strong team representing Birmingham Future. After weeks of anticipation it was finally here, a chance for us to complete what we had started a few months before through regular training sessions. Full of carbohydrates from the previous night’s mountain of pasta, it was time to set off to the roar of the large and excited crowd that had gathered to support all of the runners.
(From left Paul Fielding, Matt Taylor and Danielle Osadciw-Brown)
The team itself were all very focused individually and this was proven by the fact that, rather boringly, none of us ran round together and we all stayed at our own pace. Being my first run of any kind since my school days, I was really unsure what to expect. The first mile or so was quite simply an amazing experience with competitors struggling for space whilst the crowd cheered us on. The serious athletes around me literally went charging to the front and flew off into the distance and in almost all cases were never to be seen again.
In this first mile two Birmingham Future runners and also one of my colleagues, who was not running for Birmingham Future, all went steaming past me at the rate of knots. Two of these, including Gareth Poole of Turner and Townsend and my colleague, finished in extremely impressive times of just over 1 hour and 40 minutes. The other, who will remain unnamed, struggled home in a time of 2 hrs 13mins and 6 seconds (see below!).
Being from the south of the city and not knowing many of the areas that we were running through, I believe had its advantages. This was because it gives you something new to look at whilst you are going round, thereby making it more interesting and meaning that you are not dreading any part of the circuit. However, if I had known the route beforehand, the near 45 degree hill on Maryvale Road by Bournville Station would have given me nightmares in the weeks before. The good news after that absolute killer, therefore, was that we still had approximately 6 miles left to run! Easy!
The last two miles coming back into the centre of Birmingham were extremely difficult and it was quite disconcerting to see my boss go flying past me with a smile on his face, having challenged me prior to the race. The final two corners though were absolutely fantastic. Firstly, I was able to high-five my wife and son who had come to support me and then into the final straight on Broad Street I put my foot down, inspired by the large crowd who were making a lot of noise. This truly was a testament to Birmingham and the fabulous people who live in the area.
I managed to finish in a time of 1 hour 50 minutes and 26 seconds, which I was very pleased with, especially as my only target was just to finish. The runners in the team all finished as follows;
Gareth Poole (Turner & Townsend) finished in 1hr 40.24
Paul Fielding (Brewin Dolphin) 1.50.26
Emily Morris (Willis) 1.54.39
Matt Taylor (Headline Communications) 1.59.11
Maxwell Dobbs (BHMG) 1.59.56
Jason Norris (Delloite) 2.02.06
Ann Taylor (Innovit) 2.04.30
Danielle Osadciw-Brown (BHMG) 2.10.53
Peter Meckiff (Brewin Dolphin) 2.13.06
Claire Bishop (BHMG) 2.32.25
All in all, the team have managed to raise in excess of the £1,500 target and I would like to thank all of them for all of their hard work and, of course, all of the generous people who sponsored us. The money raised by the runners will go directly into the Future Foundation Fund. This will then be used to fund projects approved by Birmingham Future via Birmingham Community Foundation to provide grants which are set up to support the local community in areas of poverty and deprivation in Birmingham and the Black Country.
If you have not sponsored us and would like to do so post the event, the easiest way to make a donation is to visit the Just Giving website on www.justgiving.com/birminghamfuturehalfmarathon. Alternatively, if you see any of the runners I am sure that they will be more than happy to accept a cheque made payable to ‘Birmingham Community Foundation’, if you feel so inclined.
Finally, on a personal note, I would like to thank Danielle Osadciw-Brown of BHMG for all of her help with the organisation, the Birmingham Future Community Development Committee and the Colmore Business District for kindly supplying the team t-shirts.
If any of you feel so inclined, I am sure that I will be once again talked into not only taking part but also running (pardon the pun) a team in 2010 and you are of course more than welcome to join me.
Many thanks for your kind support,
Paul Fielding, Brewin Dolphin and member of the Birmingham Future Community Development Committee.
Guest speaker was Paul Thandi, Chief Executive of The NEC Group and number 1 in The Birmingham Post’s Power 50 2009, who extolled the virtues of the city as a venue to both start and progress a successful career and urged Birmingham’s newest recruits to do all in their power to “make the city different”, pointing out that we have at our disposal all of the