Organisers have today [Thursday 23 July] announced that the 5K taking place on the final day of the European Athletics Championships Birmingham 2026, will be welcoming 30 community members for the launch of the region’s first Sanctuary Runners group at the Unity 5K event.
The core principle of the Unity Challenge is to give everyone the chance to have their medal moment during the Championships week. Hundreds of thousands of people will watch the action at Birmingham 2026, and locals are being offered a chance to put that inspiration into action by signing up to complete their own 1K or 5K challenge.
Sanctuary Runners is a solidarity-through-sport movement that was founded in Ireland in 2018 to bring communities together through running and walking with a particular emphasis on building connections between locals and people who have moved from other countries.
Together, the Sanctuary Runners GB team and Birmingham 2026 organisers have agreed to host the official launch of the Sanctuary Runners Birmingham group at Unity 5K, giving 30 community members free entry to the event and the chance to kick start their new arm in the heart of the city.
Graham Clifford, Founder and Head of Operations at Sanctuary Runners GB, said: “Sanctuary Runners is a solidarity through movement organisation because we believe in the power of movement to bring people of different backgrounds together as equals.
“We’re excited to launch the first Sanctuary Runners in the West Midlands at Unity 5K. With the European Athletics Championships coming to the UK for the first time when they’re hosted in Birmingham this summer, it’s going to inspire the whole region to get more active. And we’d love to inspire them to stand in solidarity with us by joining in with Sanctuary Runners.
“To launch the Birmingham group, we’ll have 30 people taking on the Unity 5K on Sunday 16 August. Coming together to move, to celebrate, and to be a part of the Championship atmosphere.”
The Unity 5K takes place from 11:15 on Sunday 16 August, following on from the elite road marathon’s earlier that morning. Participants will be given a chance to run one loop of the marathon course, completing 5K in the heart of Birmingham city-centre and finishing under the same gantry as the elites for their own medal moment during the Championships.
Chris Moss, Impact Lead for Birmingham 2026, said: “The Unity Challenge is really about giving everyone the chance to be a part of the championship action. Now, with 12 and unders going free to the 1K and the addition of our partnership with Sanctuary Runners to launch their Birmingham arm at the 5K, we’re building more ways to get the whole of the Birmingham community involved.
“It’s a perfect partnership, as Sanctuary Runners align so closely with our impact aims in our Beyond plan and are all about bringing people together to enjoy movement, no matter their background. Which is exactly what we want the Unity Challenge to do.”