Great Midlands Fun Run will return better than ever

Next year will make the 40th anniversary of the event, which started out as the Sutton Coldfield Fun Run in 1982.

Last year's run was cancelled due to the pandemic and organisers have decided that 2021 will also be a non-starter, with the focus on a major celebration next summer.

"It was obvious in January it was highly unlikely to go ahead this year," said Mr Spare.

"June was never going to be an option and it won't go ahead in September either.

"The autumn is going to be crammed with events going on and a lot of people will still not have had their second jab by then.

"So I just felt, it was better to focus on next year.

"We will come back in 2022, it will be the 40th anniversary of the Fun Run.

"We will comeback with a bang next year, a great celebration.

"Hopefully we'll have good numbers and people will be able to celebrate what has been an incredible journey since 1982.

"And, of course, it will hopefully be the Platinum celebration for the Queen, so it will be a Royal weekend, in a Royal town.

"Everything would be in our favour really. It just sits there and you think 'great'.

"We might even get decent weather, you never know!

"It could almost be seen as part of the rebirth of Sutton in terms of events after the pandemic."

The total distributed to charity in 2019 was £229,865 bringing the total distributed since 2003 to a staggering £3.58 million.

Mr Spare admitted he had decided against doing an online version of the run because of the incredible sense of community the event brings.

"I did the virtual London Marathon last year and it was great, it was novel.

"But there's nothing quite like running with people supporting you.

"It's the same with Sutton Coldfield.

"The event is about the people, the spectators, the laughs, the joy, the tears – it's all about that.

"The idea of a virtual event didn't grab me. It's about the town itself, with the day, and so we will come back stronger next year."