Continental bragging rights will be up for grabs on the streets of Birmingham for the second edition of the Birmingham European Capital of Running Team 10K Cup on 1 May.
The event will be featured again as part of the Great Birmingham 10K, a race which has been given a five-star endorsement by European Athletics Running For All.
Teams from Birmingham, Frankfurt, Leipzig and Lyon will do battle against last year’s winners Milan to be crowned Europe’s best team.
Each team consists of three male and three female club runners, selected by their home countries, and will be recognisable by the national colours featured on their running numbers.
The event holds special significance for Birmingham and Frankfurt: 2016 marks the 50th year of twinning between the English and German cities.
The results are based on the first men and first women from each team and an average team result for the remaining four runners from each team. Last year, Milan came out on top ahead of Birmingham, Leipzig, Lyon and Frankfurt respectively.
A spokesman for the reigning champions said: “We loved our visit to Birmingham and were proud to win the cup for Milano and Italy.
“The atmosphere on the streets of the city was amazing. Now we will have to work hard to retain the trophy!”
Birmingham City Council's assistant director for sport and events Steve Hollingworth added:
“We are delighted that once again this year our twinned cities across Europe are able to send over both a ladies’ and men's team to compete for the Birmingham European Capital of Running Team 10k Cup.
“We are particularly pleased that Frankfurt will be sending a team in our 50th year of twinning between our two cities.
“This international element to the event creates an added attraction to what I am sure will be a very popular event in its own right for many thousands of entrants and their supporters along the route.”
The Birmingham European Capital of Running Team 10K Cup forms part of the Great Birmingham 10K in its second staging in the city.
Visit the event website for more information.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]