The Royal Sutton Fun Run took place recently; and what an amazing day it was!
The annual Sutton Fun Run never disappoints with crowds of people flocking out onto the course to support all the amazing runners.
On a personal note, this was my 9th Royal Sutton Fun Run, and the 6th time i’ve been first across the finish line occasions, which feels pretty special just after reaching my 40th birthday.
What made this year’s event extra special was my sister and her boyfriend travelled down from my hometown of Beverley in East Yorkshire to take part and really enjoyed the event (I knew they wouldn’t be disappointed!).
The event is a special day for the town of Sutton Coldfield and as a Personal Trainer in Sutton Coldfield, I have the pleasure of helping clients train for the event year after year.
My Experience At This Year’s Royal Sutton Fun Run
The Royal Sutton Fun Run starts in Sutton Coldfield town centre which is buzzing with excitement as there are around 5000 people taking part.
The adrenaline is high, so you hardly notice the first hill you run up! Once past the police station, you take a left then a right down a nice downhill section as you pass the 1-mile mark.
Next, you climb up an incline past Wyndley Leisure Centre before turning right and taking a nice flat section down Monmouth Drive, where terrific crowds greet you as you turn right into Sutton Park.
This was the point where I took the lead, whilst enjoying the terrific support from the crowds.
Next, you have a good climb as you enter the park before it flattens off a little before another climb up to the jamboree Stone. This is certainly a tough part of the course!
It’s a little quieter from entering the park, up towards the Jamboree, but this is more than made up for by the great crowds at the Jamboree Stone.
I then had to make my way down the hill which is certainly appreciated at this point! You head towards Keepers Pool, which is about the halfway mark, before heading into more of a wall of noise around the town gate!
The Dreaded Cardiac Hill!
The next bit is probably the hardest as it’s a long, gradual incline towards the dreaded Cardiac Hill, with the crowds probably at their most sparse.
I think it’s tough psychologically as you know you still have to get up the demon hill!
So, Cardiac Hill…as you arrive at the base of the hill you have a sign telling you that you have arrived and are now at its mercy!
The biggest tip I can give you for running up this hill (or any hill for that matter), is lean slightly forward, but keep your head up and try and run more on your toes!
Psychologically, you also need to tell yourself once you are at the top, it is pretty much downhill until the end of the event!
The crowds on the hill do help drive you up, shouts of ‘you’re nearly at the top’ certainly help spur you on!
You also find a very welcome water station at the top of the hill, which I used primarily to cool myself down.
Once at the top, I was massively in oxygen debt, so it was about trying to relax and get my breathing back under control as I headed downhill back towards Sutton Coldfield town centre.
The last 2 miles have great crowds lining the streets to push you on, the atmosphere on this part is something else.
I tried my best to thank the crowds as I ran and appreciated the young children cooling you down with their super soakers!
Then as you reach your descent (a pretty steep downhill to finish) into the finish the wall of noise and music really hits you! As you can see from the video below I tried my best to take this in because not many events have this type of amazing atmosphere, so it really is something to savour!
Once I’d crossed the line I had an interview with Nick Horner from Birmingham Live and grabbed a celebratory bottle of beer from the ice buckets, before cheering everyone else in, including my sister and her boyfriend whilst having a cold beer outside the Gate Inn.
Well done to everyone who ran and raised so much money for charity, it really was a fabulous sight seeing all of the amazing runners come into the finish.
Caught The Running Bug??
As a 6-time winner of the Royal Sutton Fun Run, I offer running-based Personal Training sessions in the North Birmingham area, using the various parks including Sutton Park, Pype Hayes Park, Rookery Park, Rectory Park, New Hall Valley Country Park, and Witton Lakes.
Therefore, if you want to improve your running and general fitness please get in touch. Outdoor Personal Training is a great way to improve your fitness whilst enjoying the natural environment, away from a busy gym.
I use trails to run on and benches, posts etc for resistance work, a great way to get fit.
Please read my blog on the benefits of Outdoor Personal Training.
You can also read my blog on training and nutrition tips for next year’s Royal Sutton Fun Run which are also quite relevant for any running event you have coming up!
You can also book at-home fitness sessions with me, where you can train in the convenience of your own home.
Take a look at my blog on the benefits of At home fitness and how at home Personal Training can benefit those with hectic lifestyles.
Nutritionist
Along with being a Personal Trainer in Sutton Coldfield, I’m also a fully qualified Nutrition Consultant having trained with the highly regarded Institute of Optimum Nutrition for 3 years as a Nutritional Therapist.
My specialist areas include;
- Digestive Health
- Skin health
- Low energy/burnout
- Weight management
- Sports Nutrition
You can also combine Personal Training with Nutritional Therapy to help optimise your results.
Please read my blog on Sports Nutrition in Layman’s terms.
You can also read my blog on digestive problems in runners and another blog on why taking a holistic view to gut health is important to maximise performance in endurance runners.
Again, well done to everyone who ran the Royal Sutton Fun Run in 2024, hopefully, you’ll be back again next year, where I’ll be joining you for my 10th Sutton Fun Run.
