ARUP and RSM UK are the winners of the Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge

The winners have been revealed for the 2024 AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run Business Challenge and it was ARUP and RSM UK who won this year’s corporate bragging rights.

This year the AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run was held on Sunday May 5with both the 10km and half marathon starting on Broad Street and finishing at Smithfield in the city centre.

Over 14,000 people signed up to take part and were treated to beautiful blue skies and thousands of cheering spectators along the 10km and half marathon routes.

The Business Challenge is a popular part of the Great Birmingham Run, which encourages a healthy perspective for team members. It offers great team building opportunities as jobs compete for fastest time trophies.

Edward Pryce, Tom Hull, David Hagan and Chris Lewis were the four fastest finishers in the RSM UK team of half marathon runners with a combined time of 05:48:34. Colmore Row’s audit, tax and consultancy advisers are taking their half marathon winners’ plaque back to the town’s business district to proudly display.

Other companies taking part in the half marathon challenge included Ridge Birmingham, Freeths LLP, BDO and Absolute Collagen.

Global engineering consultancy ARUP assembled a team of over 40 runners for the 10k and Ellen Williams, Martin Hawkins, Darren Lindsay and Steve Fernandez were the four fastest finishers with a combined team time of 02:56:29. They can now display the 10,000 Business Challenge winners plaque in their new Centenary Way offices.

ARUP’s 10,000 runners beat teams from Midlands businesses including Beever and Struthers, DWF Law, Pinsent Masons, Solihull School and St Philips Chambers.

RSM UK entered a team of over 50 runners in the 10km half marathon and raised funds for local charity Acorns. Co-captain Rishi Patel, who co-coordinated the team with colleague Scott Mortimer, said: “It’s been a brilliant experience for Scott and I to work with Great Run and to see our half marathon team win the Business Challenge is the icing on the cake .

“We’ve loved seeing the excitement of our team members signing up, getting active and training together. There was a real sense of excitement in the run up to the event and it was even more special that we were able to raise funds for our local charity partner, Acorns.”

Paul Foster, Chief Executive of the Great Run Company, said: “Huge congratulations to our winners from ARUP and RSM and a big thank you to all our Business Challenge teams for getting into the competitive but friendly spirit of the event.

“If you’re thinking of putting together a team for next year, it’s worth considering how the Business Challenge is a great opportunity to focus on charity fundraising and supporting good causes. Great Run events have helped raise over £775 million for charity.”

The AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run returns on Sunday 4th May 2025. Enter now and save with a limited time EARLYBIRD offer. This year’s event is completely sold out, so get in early to secure a place on the start line and save. Visit here.