Marathon Finish Line Hero To Be Honorary Starter
The brave Brummie runner who collapsed during the London Marathon and had to crawl over the finish line on her hands and knees will be one of the honorary starters at Sunday’s Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital radiographer Hayley Carruthers had to be carried away on a stretcher following the 26.2-mile run. Footage of her gutsy performance was shared around the world during live TV coverage of the event.
Hayley still managed to achieve a personal best time by crawling along the final stretch. She even returned to work at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital the next day, tweeting ‘Don’t worry guys! I am a’ok! Back to reality’.
Hayley offered to help cheer on the thousands of runners and walkers taking part in Sunday’s 10K after hearing that her healthcare colleagues are taking part in the Midlands’ biggest 10K as part of #TeamBWC.
To help promote staff health and wellbeing, this is the first time healthcare workers across Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust are coming together as one united team to walk, jog or run the Great Birmingham 10K.
“I’m looking forward to being an honorary starter of the Great Birmingham 10K on Sunday,” said Hayley.
“I am particularly pleased to see over 100 of my NHS colleagues taking part in the event. Good luck to everyone and I hope you enjoy that finish line feeling!”
Joining Hayley for honorary starting duties at Sunday’s 10K is legendary running coach Bud Baldaro.
Birmingham-born Bud has mentored some of the greatest names in British athletics and has a strong connection to the city through his time with Tipton Harriers and the University of Birmingham.
In October 2016, Bud was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame at a prestigious ceremony in the city. He is now a fundraiser for Parkinsons UK.
Completing the line-up of inspirational honorary starters is nine-year-old Northfield schoolgirl Anu Saha, who will be there on Sunday to cheer friends and family, including dad Anirban, taking on his first 10K after being inspired by his courageous daughter.
Anu spent the first 17 months of her life in hospital after she was born with her umbilical cord wrapped tightly around her leg, cutting off the blood’s circulation.
Sadly, the leg could not be saved and she was also left with heart and lung damage, requiring mechanical ventilation at hospital and later at home to help her breathing.
Anu became an internet star in 2017 when a video of her running wearing her unique pink prosthetic sports blade captured the hearts of millions around the world.
The prosthetic blade was purpose-made by the West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre in Selly Oak, which will have a team of runners and walkers taking part in the 10K to raise funds and awareness of their life-changing work.
This year’s Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K is a Bank Holiday Weekend celebration of Birmingham as it takes in some of the most iconic landmarks in the city centre; among them the Rotunda, New Street Apple Store and Bullring Bull.
Hundreds of participants are expected to walk the 10K as its Walking Wave grows in popularity. The event also features the ENGIE Business Challenge, which pits corporate teams against each other for fastest-time trophies and bragging rights in the business community.
ENTRY DEADLINE DETAILS:
The deadline to enter this year’s Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K has been confirmed as 10am on Thursday, May 23.
Participants signing-up this week will need to pick up their run pack from the Customer Information Points in the city centre. These late entries also incur a £5 admin fee, payable at point of entry.
Customer Information Points are: Saturday May 25, 11am to 5pm, Aston University. Sunday May 26, from 8.30am, New Street, near the junction with Bennetts Hill.
Anyone who enters the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10K will receive £10 off their entry fee for the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run half marathon, which takes place on Sunday, October 13, 2019. Sign up now at greatrun.org/great-birmingham-10k
Images of Hayley Carruthers supplied courtesy of Mark Shearman
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