September 27 to October 4 2020
Welcome to the first ever Birmingham Swifts Virtual “Plodcast” Fun Run, which you can run anywhere in the world during the week starting Sep 27 2020, and listen to our Brummie runners guide you around the sights of Birmingham at the same time!
We also want to see your best fancy dress photos and video impersonations of famous Brummies (see below for inspiration, but keep them clean lol!) – there are prizes available for the best ones!
All participants who have opted to receive our exclusive souvenir Medal and Snood/Facemask (and/or ordered the t-shirt) – these will be sent out approx 1-2 weeks after this event finishes, as well as your code to access the free digital download of the images from the 2020 Worldwide Roar (formerly Warwick Rowers) Calendar!
SORRY ENTRIES NOW CLOSED – BUT YOU CAN STILL BUY THE EXCLUSIVE TEE SHIRT HERE
Birmingham Swifts “Plodcast”
To listen to the Birmingham Swifts “Plodcast” you can visit the following podcast sites:
Or you can download the full mp3 file here (37MB size, right click and select “save as” to download).
You will hear some Swifts and other runners talk about what running means to them, as well as a 10km route around the sights of Birmingham which, if you live in Birmingham you can follow, or if you live elsewhere, just imagine yourself running around England’s second city!
The actual route is available to follow here on Strava and you can read the full directions here.
Fancy Dress and Best Brummie Impersonations!
Upload your images and videos to our public facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/birminghamswifts and use the hashtag #swiftsvirtual2020. Use the same hashtag on instagram and tiktok! We have the fantastic Worldwide Roar Manifesto Book, worth £100 for the overall winner plus some other prizes available too!
If you want some inspiration for your Best Brummie Impersonation, then watch the following videos! First up is Youtube sensation “Korean Billy” teach you how to speak Brummie (the Birmingham dialect):
And if you want to give us your best Peaky Blinders impersonation (yes, they were Brummies too), then watch the cast of the show try to guess the meaning behind Brummie slang words in this vid:
But if karaoke is more your thing, then maybe don your best “New Romantics” fashion clothes you have lurking at the back of your wardrobe, and give us your best Simon Le Bon – here’s some more inspiration from those Brummie legends Duran Duran (now roll up those jacket sleeves):
But for our final bit of Brummie inspiration, we couldn’t leave out Birmingham’s finest, Ozzy Osbourne. So here are 10 of his best moments (strong language – be warned!):
But most of all HAVE FUN!
Background:
The Birmingham Swifts are a free, LGBT+ running group open to everyone no matter what their ability, age, sexuality or gender. It’s our aim to help you achieve your running goals in a friendly and supportive environment, whether you want to run your first 5 kilometres or your first marathon. We only make money from receiving grants, selling some merchandise to our members or from those keen members who affiliate through us to England Athletics. So this fun run will help us to raise more funds to keep the club going, as well as give back to other charities we support….
For this, our first ever Virtual Podcast Run, we will split all profits between our own club and the charity Sport Allies. Sport Allies was formed in 2014, growing out of the success of Warwick Rowers, a calendar launched to raise funds for the rowing programme at the University of Warwick. Featuring predominantly heterosexual male athletes and produced by an LGBT+ photographer and film-maker, the calendar project has won an international following as an exemplary gay/straight alliance and as a “straight allies” project that champions greater LGBT+ inclusion in sport. Their Mission is to promote sport, and especially team sport, as an inclusive and supportive route to personal growth for everyone. See more at sportallies.org
How do I contact the organisers? This event is brought to you by Birmingham Swifts LGBT+ Running Group, a voluntary running club that is a member of the International Frontrunners and England Athletics. The email for contacting us is admin @ birminghamswifts.co.uk.
You can walk or run ANY distance you want for our fun run, and still get your snood and medal! But we have created a fun podcast you can listen to as you run that is based on a 10km run around the sights of Birmingham UK. You’ll hear different members of Birmingham Swifts as we run past different landmarks telling you a bit about them. The podcast is based on a 50 minute time for running 10km but don’t worry if you are faster or slower!
We also want to see your photos – so why not run in fancy dress! We will have some prizes available including the Worldwide Roar 2020 Manifesto book worth £100. So show us your Best Fancy Dress and Best Famous Brummie impersonation – whether that’s Ozzie Osbourne, Simon Le Bon or someone more obscure! You can post them on our Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/birminghamswifts) or on Instagram, Twitter or TikTok using the hashtag #swiftsvirtual2020.
An exclusive microfibre snood/facemask (you can use as a covid19 face mask too!) AND souvenir medal AND access to our Podcast AND digital download of the 2020 Worldwide Roar Calendar images (worth £9.99) are included for your total entry fee of just £12.50 (shipping charges apply). Just remember to add the snood and medal to your basket – if you don’t want or need either of these, the money saved by not adding them will be donated to our good causes!
We also have an exclusive luxury 100% organic cotton souvenir tee shirt available to buy, sourced from our friends at Kerfuffle & Malarkey. As well as vegan friendly, they are produced in facilities that comply with the Fair Wear Foundation code of ethics. Again, all profits will be donated between the club and Sport Allies. The beautiful design has been done for us by our very own Swifts member Alexander Jon Brown (who has also produced the podcast!).
Which just leaves me to say, have a fabulous run, and a big shout of “Swifts Ahoy”!
Holly, Chair of Birmingham Swifts 2020
FAQs:
Where is it? Anywhere you like – from Australia to the Arctic! You can participate anywhere in the world in line with the regulations in place where you are.
When does it take place? You can complete your run/walk anytime over the week of Sunday 27th September to Sunday 4th October 2020.
How do I listen to the podcast? Just check back to this page at the start of the week of Sunday 27th September to Sunday 4th October 2020 for full details of our podcast!
How far do I have to run? We are all about inclusion and encouragement. Everyone who participates can choose how far they go and how they do it, you may walk around the block or run a 5km PB, or run 10km dancing to Kylie the whole way! It is your own choice and we love you for doing it. Birmingham Swifts are about meeting your own goals and feeling good.
Where should I run? When planning your route consider your own abilities. Think about how far you want to go, the terrain you are going to be running over and how busy the route is likely to be with road crossings and other users.
Can I run with other people? Anyone participating in this event must comply with the restrictions in place by your government or local governing body, where you live. This may mean there is a limit to numbers of people running together and to the distance you must stay apart. Be Covid safe!
What if I have an accident whilst out running? Ensure someone in your group has a phone, that someone knows where you have gone, and when you expect to return.
What does it cost to take part? For only £12.50 you can be part of our first ever Virtual Podcast Fun Run.
What do I get for my entry fee? All participants will get a free digital download of the 2020 Worldwide Roar – formerly Warwick Rowers – Calendar images (worth £9.99). Plus, if you opt-in to receive them, you will also receive our exclusive 2020 Virtual Run medal and snood, which will be posted to your home (anywhere in the world, shipping charges apply). Or if you don’t need/want these you can opt-out and the extra funds we save will go towards our club and charity. You can also buy our exclusive 100% organic cotton souvenir tee shirt.
When will I get my snood and medal and download? Snood, medal and any other merchandise you order will be sent out approx 1 to 2 weeks after the virtual run week has finished. The download link will be emailed to you after the event. We’re only a small volunteer club so please bear with us to get everything processed once the event has finished!
Will this event support any charities? Yes – all profits made from this event will be split 50/50 to support the continued running of our club Birmingham Swifts and the charity Sport Allies – see more above!
What about fancy dress? We love fancy dress and pride colours and impersonations of famous Brummies! So don your amazing fancy dress outfits and have a bit of fun. You can post them on our Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/birminghamswifts) or on Instagram, Twitter or TikTok using the hashtag #swiftsvirtual2020.
Will there be prizes? You bet! As we have said, this event is all about the colour and fun element, so we want to see your best fancy dress. We will have copies of the Worldwide Roar 2020 Manifesto book to win, worth £100 each!
What about my run time? For this year there is no need to let us know your time – it’s just about getting out there, being active and having fun. We would like to see your fancy dress photos though! With everyone doing different distances in different locations, we just want to focus on having fun!
What if I get injured and can’t run? No problem – decorate your plaster cast, put a Pride flag on your walking stick, get someone to push you in a wheelchair, exercise in your seat – just make sure you send us photos!
How do I contact the organisers? This event is brought to you by Birmingham Swifts LGBT+ Running Group, a voluntary running club that is a member of the International Frontrunners and England Athletics. The email for contacting us is admin @ birminghamswifts.co.uk.