Walkers and runners go the extra lap to help charities at annual Wolverhampton fundraising event

Runners and walkers beat feet and the heat to benefit good causes when a popular annual fundraising event returned to Wolverhampton.

Aldersley Stadium in Wolverhampton was the setting on Saturday (June 27) for the 2026 Best Foot Forward, a unique event devised and organised by the Rotary Club of the City of Wolverhampton.

It saw hundreds of people take to the athletics track to complete multiple laps to help “unlock” a pot of cash for charities which has been created through donations given by local companies and organisations.

Families, friends and organisations turned up at Aldersley to tackle the event, with people of all ages taking part, while refreshments were provided by the Rotaract Club of Wolverhampton University on the start and finish line.

There was a carnival spirit in the air, even in extremely hot and humid conditions, and lots of laughter and good-spirited banter could be heard from those taking part, including members of Wolverhampton Coronary Aftercare Support Group, one of the event charities.

At the end of the day, after 12 hours of walking and running, the final total number of laps completed was 16,444 - down from more than 19,000 in 2025, but still enough to ensure that Wolverhampton Coronary Aftercare Support Group, Sponsored Breaks and The Rotary Charitable Trust would share a pot of £12,000.

The event, unique to Wolverhampton, was made possible by the financial support of Best Foot Forward Patrons, community-minded companies and organisations, who each contributed to establish the fund donated to the event charities, and supported by the Express & Star, Wolverhampton Council and the James Beattie Charitable Trust.

Many of the patrons have underpinned the event continuously since it was first staged in 2013 and Geoff Lowndes, a member of the organising committee, said it was a delight to see it continuing to thrive.

“It’s just a delight that an idea we had 12 years ago, which we thought was improbable and couldn’t take place in Wolverhampton, has in fact become a reality and an important date in the community social calendar for our city.

“Earlier in the week, with the temperatures being what they were, we were seriously afraid of our responsibility for temperature control and whether we would need to put it off until later in the year, but we kept our nerve and the temperatures have dropped and that’s helped the event.

“For me, there is just a pleasure at being able to be involved in something that palpably fulfils a need within our community and raises money which, in itself, does good, but, by being staged, creates an atmosphere and a joy for all those people involved.”

Among those taking to the track to put in the laps was former Wolves striker and City of Wolverhampton Rotary president Mel Eves, who said he was proud to see an event he had been at the start of continue to grow.

He said: “I’ve known about this event and what it does for the community since I was president in the year it was founded, with the first one being 2013 and I’ve attended every year and seen it grown from strength to strength.

“With the weather, I’m pretty pleased that it’s a bit cooler than yesterday, which was very hot, and we’ve had a great turnout this year, which I’m really pleased about.

“I’m doing this for two groups today, raising money for the Wolves Former Players Association, which helps good causes and charities, and for Rotary, so today has been a win-win for me.”