ATHLETICS clubs from across the region could benefit from this year’s Worcester City 10k event.
The popular annual event will be held alongside the Run-Bike-Run and Young Athletes Run on Sunday, September 18.
They will be organised in a partnership involving Worcester City Council and Events of the North, the company run by athletics legend Steve Cram.
Cram today unveiled the University of Worcester as a new commercial partner for the event and also revealed details of a payback scheme designed to encourage members of running clubs to take part.
Since its launch in 2014, the Worcester City 10K has grown into a significant event on the city calendar, with thousands of runners and spectators involved in each year.
Along with the Run-Bike-Run and Young Athletes Run, the 10K has capacity to grow and Events of the North will work with the University of Worcester to promote the events at the university and across the city.
Dr Susie Hart, Director of Sport Partnership and Community Engagement at the University of Worcester, said:
“This event is a fantastic way to celebrate inclusive sport, an area that the university is very passionate about and is leading the way in developing.”
New for the Worcester City 10K and Run-Bike-Run in 2016 is a payback scheme for athletic and tri clubs across the region.
Using a sliding scale depending on the number of entries, the scheme means that any club can benefit financially when enough affiliated runners sign up to one of the two events.
Clubs can start to benefit from the payback scheme as soon as 10 members have signed up to run in either the 10K or Run-Bike-Run.
For the 2016 races, a club that enters 10 to 19 runners in one of the two races will earn £50, 20-29 earns £60, 30 to 39 earns £70, 40-49 earns £80 and over 50 runners from one club in the same race earns £100.
The same scale applies to club entries for both the 10K and the Run-Bike-Run.
Event founder and director Steve Cram said: “We’re delighted to be working with Worcester City Council again this year.
“The Worcester City Run events grew significantly last year and I am confident that the same can happen again in 2016.
“Clubs in Worcester and the wider region have done a lot to support our event with competitors and we feel that now is the time to thank them.
“Of course, we hope that the payback scheme will lead to even more club representatives lining up at the start on September 18, but it’s also a great way to give something back to the local sports community.”
Organisers are offering ‘early bird’ discounts for places on the Worcester events, which are now open at www.worcestercityrun.com
