You can run the Swifts Virtual “Plodcast” Run 2020 anywhere you want, but we do have an ‘official’ route for the purposes of the podcast. If you’re curious about it here are the directions for you to follow.

You can follow the route on Strava here.

Full Route Directions

Section 1
• Starting in front of the council house head towards Waterloo Street and turn left
onto Eden place
• Come out onto Edmund Street and carry onto Margaret Street, turning right onto
Cornwall Street
• At the end of Cornwall Street turn right onto Church Street and down to pigeon
park
• Passing St Phillips Cathedral, head out to Temple Row and onto Great Western
Arcade
• At the end of Great Western Arcade turn right onto Colmore Row
• Keep going until you reach Priory Queensway, then turn right until you reach
Corporation Street

Section 2
• Once you’ve crossed the dual carriage way you can see Aston University Campus in
front
• Go through and follow it around to the right to reach Jennens Road
• Cross it and carry on to your left on the far side of Jennens Road
• Take a right down Cardigan Street all the way to Curzon Street, and loop there on
the corner of Millennium Point

Section 3
• Run along the front of Millennium Point alongside Eastside City Park
• At the end follow the road around to the left, crossing Masshouse Lane passing in
front of the Clayton hotel reaching Moor Street
• Follow the road left around Moor Street station, and you need to cross the road to
run along the pin cushion towards and past St Martin’s.
• Take a right onto upper dean street to run past the outdoor and indoor markets

Section 4
• Keep going along Ladywell walk and you’ll reach the Pride crossing, turning left run
past the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre and down Hurst Street
• Halfway down hurst street divert right onto St Johns Walk and left onto Essex
Street and all the way down Lower Essex Street
• Go left along Sherlock Street and once you pass Eden turn left returning to Hurst
Street
• About halfway turn right along Hurst Walk as you head along the arcadian and
follow Cathay Street out to the end

Section 5
• Turn left up Pershore Street and onto Dudley Street and reaching the roundabout
keep left onto Edgbaston Street
• Now on the other side of the markets, turn left just before St Martins, following
the uphill curve of the bullring all the way onto New Street
• Keep going along New Street and cross over the tram tracks
• Taking a right onto Cannon Street we’re going to keep following it left up to Cherry
Street, onto Temple Row and back down Temple Street until back on New Street
• Head through Piccadilly Arcade to Stephenson Street and on to Navigation Street
next to New Street Station
• Run straight along Navigation street and when you see The Stable follow that road
left to John Bright Street

Section 6
• Turn right onto Lower Severn Street and right again onto Suffolk Street, which
takes back to Navigation street again
• Going under the dual carriageway you’ll come out in front of the Mailbox, keeping
it on your right as you round around it and towards the big red lamp
• Passing the lamp brings you onto Commercial street so follow that to the end and
to the right using Granville Street to get over the canal
• Going right at the roundabout onto Holliday Street and follow around the registry
office onto Waterfront Walk until you reach the canal
• Turn left and follow the canal, looking at the Mailbox from the other side

Section 7
• Following the canal past the ICC and Symphony hall you’ll head up to a bridge
which you take left into Brindley Place, pass the Sea Life Centre and run a full lap
around Central Square
• Head back to the bridge and cross it to the arena, what most of us still call the NIA,
and go right to King Edwards road and Cambridge Street, passing the Prince of
Wales pub.
• Passing the ICC you’ll reach a roundabout which will take you between the
Symphony Hall and The Rep Theatre, follow in front of the REP and the Library and
straight through Centenary Way
• Finally, carry onto Chamberlain Square and as you’ll see Birmingham Museum and
Art Gallery in front of you.