Wythall and Hollywood Fun Run: Still time to put your best running foot forward!

The Hollywood and Wythall Fun Run is taking place on Sunday 23 June at Wythall Park in North Worcestershire.

The run, includes a 5k, 10k and Families on Track relay race, where kids, teenagers, parents, grandparents and friends run 10 kilometres in a continuous relay, in whichever order or combination they decide on. You don’t even have to run as walking or wheeling the route is also an option.

If you would like to take part, but don’t feel quite ready, Couch to 5k may be the perfect coaching partner.  

Steve Cram, Olympic Medallist & World Champion Runner, is one of the coaches for the NHS Couch to 5k programme, which helps people gradually work up towards running 5km in just 9 weeks. 

The programme starts with a mix of running and walking to gradually build up your fitness and stamina.

He joined Director of Public Health for Worcestershire, Lisa McNally to visit Wythall Park this week to oversee the latest preparations and take the first steps on the course, ahead of the run returning to the West Midlands on Sunday 23 June.

Lisa McNally, Director of Public Health for Worcestershire said: “We’re really looking forward to getting Wythall and Hollywood moving and bringing the fun run back to the town, and it’s great to see the course beginning taking shape. If you’re not ready to run just yet, the Couch to 5k programme is ideal for guiding you through the process of from sofa to start line, so you can join us all here on 23 June.”

Steve Cram, said: “Local community events in running are really important, it’s how I started years ago. We want to give people that bit of confidence and support to start running. Running is a great platform for you to build and grow physically and mentally. We’re putting on a 5 and 10k run here in Wythall, which is aimed at those for which running is a new thing, and who knows where it takes them? There’s lots of opportunities including Couch to 5k to get started running, it does matter, what age, what running ability you have, what background, it doesn’t matter, you can definitely give this event a go.”

Marie is one of our Run Ambassadors, who currently runs Happy Feet Fitness, a family run business who encourage people to start running a 5K, 10k or even a half marathon.

She is also a breast cancer survivor, who found running benefitted her recovery and now devotes a lot of her time looking after her five grandchildren, and keeping local people moving in her local running group.

She said: “Running is a great way to add in fitness to your life, and keep yourself independent for longer,  it really does help to add years on to your life. It’s a great opportunity to create time for yourself, and I find it really clearing for my mind. Socially it is great too, being part of a running group, and chatting to people, I actually find it easier chatting to people when I’m running! I think I have the best job in the world running a running group.”

The brand new medal that runners will receive for completing the course has also been revealed this week.

It’s more than just a run, there’s something for everybody! There will be food and entertainment for all the family to enjoy.

Steve Cram and the Events of the North team will be there at the run itself seeing runners over the finish line.

To find out more and sign up to the run, please visit the Wythall and Hollywood Fun Run website.