Blues Win The Inaugural Ding Dong Derby
For more information on the Great Birmingham Run, visit here
BIRMINGHAM City blazed a royal blue trail around the Great Birmingham 10k route to become the inaugural winners of the Ding Dong Derby Cup.
Blues’ awesome foursome of Darren Robinson, Pete Shuttleworth, Sam Meek and Dave Singleton all finished inside 39 mins to post a superfast collective time of 2:31:39hrs.
They pipped Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall – second and third respectively – over the finish line. Aston Villa, West Brom and Coventry also entered teams.
Club scout Shuttleworth posted the fastest time (37:16 mins) of the football clubs’ runners while he, Robinson and Meek secured top 55 finishes in the overall event standings.
Team captain Robinson, Blues’ Head of Performance who has represented Great Britain twice in the Iron Man (age-group) World Championships, said: “We’re chuffed to win the Ding Dong Derby Cup.
“The Great Birmingham 10k is a brilliantly organised event – as good as anything out there – and this was a cracking competition for football clubs.
“There were no ringers in our team – we’re all full-time members of staff – and it’s been a really good thing for us. We’ve had some great banter going at the club.
“We’ll look forward to defending our title next year and it’ll be great if more grassroots teams get involved and challenge the bigger clubs.”
David Hart, Communications Director at The Great Run Company, said: “All four times posted by Blues were top draw and to have three runners finish inside the top 55 makes them worthy winners.
“I want to thank all the clubs for entering. It was a proper local derby!”
The inaugural Ding Dong Derby Cup pitted teams comprising at least four runners against each other.
Football clubs across the region, from Premier League down to grassroots level, were invited to enter.
The four fastest times posted by each team were accumulated to determine who was the fittest and fastest club – with Blues securing the ultimate derby bragging rights.
The Ding Dong Derby Cup gets its name from the phrase made famous by Free Radio’s Tom Ross in describing local affairs down the years.
More than 6,000 runners completed the Great Birmingham 10k and entries for the 2017 event are now open.
You can sign up immediately for just £26. Anyone who ran this year’s Great Birmingham 10k will be eligible for an exclusive £10 discount to take part in the Great Birmingham Run half marathon on Sunday, October 16. Over 1,000 people have already signed up.
Entrants for this year’s 13.1-mile race through the city – taking in famous landmarks including the Bullring, Edgbaston Cricket Ground and Cadbury’s – will be given priority entry to the new Birmingham International Marathon in 2017.
An incredible 7,000 runners have already registered an interest in the marathon – within six days of it being announced.
For more information on the Great Birmingham Run, visit here
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