A 5mile/8km run loop around central Birmingham to see all the main tourist sites. It’s the perfect way for energetic visitors to see the highlights of Birmingham City Centre in a quick way! Expect the run to take around 1 hour at a gentle pace. The run will take you past the Council House, Colmore Business District, the Cathedral, Victorian shopping arcades, the Law Courts, Aston University, Millennium Point, Selfridges, the Bull Ring, New Street, Grand Central, the Mailbox, the canals, Brindley Place, Symphony Hall, and the new Library.
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Route overview
PICTORIAL DIRECTIONS:
Start at Council House. Run NE towards Colmore Row.
Turn first left into Eden Place.
Left then right into Margaret Street.
Right into Cornwall St.
Part 1 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Cross over Newhall St. Right up Church St. Cross over Edmund St.
Part 2 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Cross over Colmore Row. Go through Cathedral grounds.
Left along Temple Row.
Left into Great Western Arcade.
Right along Colmore Row. Cross over tram lines on Upper Bull St.
Part 3 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Go across Colmore Square. Cross over The Priory Queensway.
Turn right along The Priory Queensway.
Turn left into Corporation St. Run down past the old Victoria Law Courts.
Part 4 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Turn right into Ryder St after the last building on the right-hand side down Corporation St.
Cross over James Watt Queensway. Continue ahead into the landscaped gardens of Aston University.
To your left on Ryder Street, you can peep the bronze statue of Hebe. Hebe is the daughter of Zeus and Hera and is goddess of youth in Greek mythology. The statue was built in 1966 and originally included a scale or basin of sorts which she gently touched. However, this basin has been missing since 2014/2015. Nevertheless, it’s still a beautiful piece.
Part 5 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Continue across the gardens. Go through the tunnel under the buildings ahead and turn right.
Part 6 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Continue to Jennens Rd. Cross to the central reservation.
Turn left to go along the central path to the end.
Turn right over the crossing and head down Cardigan St.
Part 7 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Turn right into the landscaped gardens in front of Millennium Point. Run through the gardens to the end.
Part 8 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Keep following the main path through Eastside City Park, past the Woodman pub on your left, until you reach a road.
See our Eastside City Park walk for more information about this park.
Part 9 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Cross over Park Street and turn left to run along the pavement.
Cross over Masshouse Lane and continue straight ahead, running past the hotel on your right.
Continue up to Moor Street Queensway but don’t cross over – turn left to run along the pavement towards Moor Street Train Station.
Part 10 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Run along Moor Street Queensway passing Moor Street Train Station on your left.
Part 11 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Follow the pavement around the corner to the left.
At the next corner cross to the other side of the road at the foot of Selfridges building.
Run alongside Selfridges.
At the end of the building turn right to follow the ramp up towards the Bull Ring.
Follow the path around the church and then turn right up the ramped path in front of Wagamama and behind Browns cafe bar.
At the top of the ramp turn left into St Martin’s Walk.
You will see the big, shiny building that looks a bit like a bunch of thumbtacks on your right. This is the Selfridges building part of the Bullring Shopping Centre. Its exterior might look somewhat familiar because it was featured as one of the backgrounds in the Architecture theme of Windows 7.
Part 12 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Cross over Rotunda Square and turn left into New Street at the Sculptural Light Wands.
Part 13 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Continue along New St.
Cross over the tram lines on Corporation St.
Continue along New St.
Take first right into Cannon Street.
Run along Cannon Street to the end.
Turn left into Cherry Street.
Run up towards the Cathedral.
Turn left in front of the Cathedral on Temple Row.
Run along Temple Row and turn second left into Temple St.
Run down Temple St to New St.
Part 14 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Turn right into New St. Turn left to run through Piccadilly Arcade.
Cross over when you exit and run past the entrance to Grand Central and down Navigation Street.
Cross over Hill St and turn left into John Bright St.
Part 15 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Run along John Bright St.
Turn right into Lower Severn St.
Turn right in front of the dual carriageway to the underpass at Navigation St.
Turn left to go under the Mailbox underpass.
Turn right on the other side and head up to go into the front entrance of the Mailbox.
Run through the Mailbox to the other side using the escalators to go up two levels.
Part 16 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Exit the Mailbox onto the canalside and follow the path around to the Cube.
Turn right to go over the metal bridge over the canal and onto the canal towpath.
Keep running straight ahead when coming off the bridge to follow the canal towpath.
Part 17 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Keep following the canal past Gas Street Basin and through the Broad St tunnel.
Part 18 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Follow the canal round the corner by the National Sealife Centre and then turn left to follow the bridge into Brindley Place.
Go diagonally across Central Square and turn left into Oozels Street towards the Ikon Gallery (it’s free to enter!).
Turn right into Oozells Square. Run across Oozells Square.
Turn right into Cumberland St.
Turn right at the end to head back towards Central Sq.
Go across Central Sq and turn left in front of the National Sealife Centre to go back over the bridge onto the canal towpath.
Turn left to run along to the next bridge.
Turn right to go over the bridge over the canal.
Turn right after the bridge to run in front of Birmingham Arena.
Turn right over the second bridge to cross to the other side of the canal by the Malthouse Pub.
Keep following the canal towpath on this side of the canal towards the ICC.
Turn left off the canal towpath to go into the ICC/Symphony Hall complex.
Part 19 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Run through the ICC complex passing Symphony Hall on your right hand side of the Atrium.
Exit out the far side and run straight ahead in front of the Rep Theatre and the new Library of Birmingham.
Part 20 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Follow the pathway past the Library of Birmingham straight ahead and then continue to follow the path past One Chamberlain Square.
Part 21 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
Follow the path around to the right in front of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery main entrance on your left, and Birmingham Town Hall on your right.
Turn left at the corner of the Council House to return to the start of this run.
Look out for the Thomas Attwood statue by the stairs. The statue is depicted as having left his plinth surrounded by scattered bronze pages on the steps around him. Quite a quirky way to remember the great composer.
Part 22 of the Birmingham 8km City Centre Run
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Resources:
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Map details © OpenStreetMap contributors