Stars line up for Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix
Olympic champion Mo Farah heads a star-studded line-up at the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix, which takes place on Sunday, June 7.
He will be joined by the likes of Olympic, European and Commonwealth long jump champion Greg Rutherford and world former Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, as well as a raft of other British stars.
Taking place at the Alexander Stadium, this will be the fourth year that this prestigious event has been staged in Birmingham. The stadium is home to the Birchfield Harriers athletics club, which was established in 1879 and has been represented in every summer Olympics bar one since 1908.
, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “I am delighted that this fantastic event is returning to Birmingham for a fourth year. Birmingham has a proud history of hosting prestigious sporting events and this year is already shaping up to be particularly exciting, with the Ashes returning to Edgbaston next month and two of this year’s Rugby World Cup games being played at Villa Park in September.
“Such events are hugely important to Birmingham, bringing visitors to our city, boosting our economy and, of course, showing the world what Birmingham has to offer in terms of world class sporting facilities. Last year’s event drew 12,000 sports fan to the Alexander Stadium.
“Just as importantly, sporting events such as these inspire people in Birmingham to lead healthier lifestyles by taking up physical activities. For example, we know that Birchfield Harriers have seen an increase in their junior and social adult running sections since Birmingham started hosting the Grand Prix in 2012, while the inaugural Great Birmingham 10k last month saw 7,000 runners taking part.
“We have also launched our ‘Couch to 5k’ sessions designed to help absolute beginners get into running, which are held in a number of Birmingham parks as part of our ParkLives initiative and which will help us on our way to becoming the European Capital of Running.”
The Spectator Village opens at 11.30am on the day, with doors then opening at 11.45am and the event itself running from 1.15pm to 5.15pm.
Tickets are £20 per adult, with £15 concessions available to children aged 2-16 years old, students with a valid NUS card and senior citizens over 60 years old. Children under the age of two can enter for free.
Tickets are available via www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 08000 556056.
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Notes to Editors
For more information on the ParkLives initiative, including the activities on offer, please visit: www.parklives.com/councils/birmingham.
