A brace of financial services firms and a sports management consultancy took home the spoils from the 2018 Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge.

The annual competition invites businesses and other organisations to enter mixed or single-gender teams of four to eight runners in the city's half marathon, with the four fastest times combined to produce a team total.

Sport Structures was named winner in the small company category, with a team time of 7:42.37, while RSM UK was named winner in the medium category.

Its men's team also posted the fastest time of all the Business Challenge teams taking part, with an impressive 5:42.44.

The large company category was won by PwC with a time of 6:09.15.

Some of the runners from RSM UK which won the medium category of the 2018 Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge
Some of the runners from RSM UK which won the medium category of the 2018 Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge

RSM UK audit partner Ian Wall said: "Our team was a great mix of age and experience, ranging from Tom Ritchie, an 18-year-old school leaver who has joined as a trainee in our audit department, through to Gary Grewal and I who have a few more miles on the clock."

An engraved trophy is awarded to the winning team in each category and any company that enters 12 employees or more also receives an engraved plaque.

All the winners from the various categories taking part can be seen below.

More than 11,000 people braved dreadful conditions on Sunday to tackle the new-look, 13.1-mile course through Birmingham city centre and suburbs such as Bournville and Edgbaston.

The 2018 route returned to its spiritual home of Broad Street which this year hosted the start line instead of the usual triumphant finishing chute.

It is estimated that this year's race raised in excess of £2 million for local and national charities.

The Great Birmingham 10k will return again in 2019, on Sunday May 26, and will also have the Business Challenge alongside standard entries.

Visit GreatRun.org for more details and to enter.

The full list of Business Challenge winners is:

Small Business

Mixed

Winner - Sport Structures 7:42.37

Medium Business

Male

Winner - RSM Team 1 5:42.44

Runner-up - Altair Engineering Team 1 06:26.37

Third - JW Hinks 7:45.56

Female

Winner RSM Team 1 9:23.03

Mixed

Winner - Thursfield Solicitors 7:34.31

Runner-up - Browne Jacobson 7:41.37

Third - Jurys Inn Customer Contact Centre & Shared Service Centre 9:22.03

Large Business

Male

Winner - PwC 6:09.15

Runner-up - Deutsche Bank Team 6 7:01.16

Third - Scott Bader 7:16.10

Female

Winner - Wesleyan 8:43.30

Runner-up - Scott Bader 9:10.03

Third - Deutsche Bank Team 2 9:56:51

Mixed

Winner - Scott Bader 7:18

Runner up - Eurofins Food and Water Testing UK 7:27.15

Third - PwC 7:28.39