This is the final route for Birmingham’s first marathon in 30 years.
Birmingham International Marathon 2017 will start at Alexander Stadium and finish at Millennium Point - taking in some of the city’s key landmarks in between.
The event takes place on Sunday, October 15, 2017 - the same day the Great Birmingham Run takes place.
Entries for the marathon have now closed. You can still enter the half marathon here.
The marathon has been created by the Great Run company, which also organises the Great Birmingham 10K and half marathon Great Birmingham Run.
The first marathon held in Birmingham was called The People’s Marathon, organised by elite runner John Walker and launched in 1980 - a year before the London Marathon. It ran until 1985.
The marathon route
Alexander Stadium
The Birmingham International Marathon starts at the city’s Alexander Stadium; the home of British Athletics and illustrious Birchfield Harriers. The famous stadium has a new 5,000-seater stand opposite the main stand after a £12 million expansion five years ago.
Barton Arms pub
As runners leave Aston and head towards the city centre they will pass the beautiful Barton Arms pub, built in 1900 and once visited by Laurel and Hardy, who were photographed pulling pints behind the bar.
Westley Richards
As the runners continue to the city centre the home of famous gunsmiths Westley Richards is the next famous landmark to look out for. One of the oldest surviving traditional gun and rifle makers in the country, the company is at the heart of Birmingham’s celebrated Gun Quarter.
Matthew Boulton College
As runners leave the city centre they pass Matthew Boulton College, named after one of the city’s entrepreneurial forefathers who, along with James Watt and William Murdoch, helped kick-start the Industrial Revolution and made Birmingham a global manufacturing powerhouse and ‘the city of a thousand trades’.
Selfridges building
The next milestone for marathon runners is the start-line for the Great Birmingham Run half marathon and the iconic Selfridges building with its 15,000 aluminium discs making it one of the top-ten most photographed buildings in the UK.
This area is the oldest part of Birmingham and the Beorma tribe is believed to have settled in these parts many, many years ago.
Irish Quarter
Runners will head towards the Irish Quarter of Digbeth and Peaky Blinders territory… it’s here the notorious early 20th century gangs, made famous in the BBC crime drama, controlled the industrial streets.
Cannon Hill Park
The beautiful Cannon Hill Park is the next landmark on the marathon check-list. With its stunning grounds, sports facilities, mac arts centre and pleasure boating lakes, Cannon Hill is one of the most popular open spaces in the city.
Edgbaston cricket stadium
This is where marathon participants get to see the famous Edgbaston cricket stadium, the oldest Test cricket ground in the world.
Bournville
Runners then pass through the suburb of Selly Park before heading to world- famous Bournville, a model village built by celebrated industrialists and social campaigners the Cadburys. Described as being ‘one of the nicest places to live in Britain’, Bournville is often quoted as laying the foundations for the development of garden cities with the chocolate factory at its heart.
The Finish Line
Runners will finish at Jennens Road near Birmingham City University.
Key points
The marathon will be held on Sunday, October 15 2017.
Provisional start time will be 8.30am.
General entry is now closed.
