On Sunday 5th October, our annual event took place at Sutton Park in what was another successful, inclusive celebration of sport and community. The event was open to everyone who wanted to take part, with options to run various lengths, including 1km, 5km, and 10km. On the crisp autumn morning, our participants bravely battled the cold air and gave it their all — and we couldn’t have been prouder of everyone who participated and those who came to support.
The Sutton Park Challenge is truly a unique race, not only because of the beautiful setting but also because of its strong commitment to inclusivity. We are passionate about welcoming and encouraging everyone to take part, regardless of ability, age, or experience. Our goal is to create an event where all participants feel valued, supported, and motivated to enjoy the day. We were thrilled to see a wide range of people come together to participate in the event. Some of our athletes were frequent runners who chose to challenge themselves by running solo around the park, while many others ran with their dogs, families, and children.
There were several wheelchair users who participated together with their family and friends around the hilly course, highlighting the spirit of support and inclusivity that defined this day. People were also able to cycle along the route in either an accessible bike or trike if they wished. The event was suitable for everyone to join, and the route followed paths around Sutton Park that were accessible for both runners and cyclists.
Before the Challenge began, participants were busy warming up and getting ready with the support of friends and family, helping to create a warm, welcoming community atmosphere. There was a tent where athletes could register and receive their race numbers, and a coffee van offering hot and cold drinks for people to enjoy. The atmosphere was filled with positivity and excitement as people began to line up at the start line, surrounded by the cheerful encouragement of supporters. Running Marshalls both led and followed the race to ensure everyone stayed on the correct path, felt safe, and received any medical attention if needed. Their presence helped maintain a smooth, inclusive, and enjoyable experience for all involved.
Our staff and volunteers were stationed at various points along the course to help direct participants and provide encouragement throughout the event. The atmosphere was incredibly friendly, with words of support and motivation shared by staff, volunteers, and participants alike. At the finish line, families, friends, and supporters eagerly waited for our athletes to complete the event. As each person crossed the finish line, waves of cheers and applause erupted, congratulating them on their success. It was a deeply emotional moment for many, as participants, filled with pride and satisfaction, were reunited with their friends and family and presented with their well-earned medals.
After the 5km and 10km events had concluded, the participants of the 1km Challenge began to line up in preparation. This run was designed to be accessible for everyone, with children making up the majority of participants. There was an overwhelming sense of pride and joy from friends, families, and supporters as these young athletes set off on their run. Just like the other Challenges, the finish line was filled with friendly faces ready to celebrate their achievements — making it a memorable moment for everyone involved.
This year’s Sutton Park Challenge once again captured our mission to promote inclusivity and create opportunities for everyone to get involved. We want to congratulate every participant for your enormous achievement — we are so proud of you! And a huge thank you to all the supporters who came along to cheer — your enthusiasm and encouragement helped make the day so special.
Photo’s by Stephen Lee’s Images and James Rogers
Written by Ella, Student Intern
Despite a light drizzle, over a hundred determined runners, joggers, walkers, and wheelers gathered in Sutton Park to take on Midland Mencap’s Sutton Park Challenge, and what a day it was!
The energy was high from the start, with the exciting 5k and 10k races kicking off at 10am, followed by the family-friendly 1k at 11:30am. Each participant, from seasoned racers to first-time walkers, showed amazing determination and heart throughout the day.
A standout moment of the day was seeing Elisha and Billy, riding their accessible bikes with parkride, joining the 5k and 10k participants for the first time. Their enthusiasm and grit perfectly captured the spirit of inclusivity and community that the Sutton Park Challenge represents.
We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took part. Whether you were chasing a personal best, enjoying a scenic walk, or taking on the hills with friends, your involvement helps make a real difference for people with learning disabilities and their families across the West Midlands. Together, we are building a future where everyone is valued, included, and empowered.
Equally, a special thank you goes to our incredible volunteer marshals. Whether you were guiding runners, cheering them on, assisting in the car park or race village, or contributing your time and skills in other ways, you played an essential role in making this day a success. Your dedication and support kept everything running smoothly, and we hope you’re proud of the impact you made. We simply couldn’t have done it without you!
Be sure to check out your race times and browse through the amazing photos from the event. These memories will stay with us, and so will the positive impact you’ve made!
Missed this year’s event or already excited for the next one?
You won’t have to wait long! We’ll be announcing the date for next year’s Sutton Park Challenge in January. Whether you run, jog, walk, or wheel, we’ve got a spot for you, and we can’t wait to welcome you again!
Thank you again for your incredible support. We are already looking forward to seeing you next year!
The excitement and anticipation could be felt all over Sutton Park on Saturday 5th October as participants and supporters gathered together for a great day of activity, fundraising and personal achievements.
The day commenced with the cycle event where many of our parkriders rode their way to complete an impressive 5km; an amazing achievement for all who took part. This was then followed by 112 enthusiastic individuals taking on either a 5km or 10km run and many more individuals partaking in the 1km fun run which concluded the day. With a mixture of runners, joggers, walkers, bikers and wheelchair users it really was a day for everyone.
As a charity who strive for inclusivity and equality within society, it was especially pleasing to see that was this felt by all those involved in the event. With one participant saying, ‘I’m delighted today’s event has been so inclusive, and everyone has found their own way to take part’ and another saying it was ‘fab to see different people join in confident that they had been thought about! That’s how to deliver an inclusive sports event’. This kind of feedback is always wonderful to receive and proves we are on the right track.
We saw some fantastic results over the day and a special shout out should go to Tim Livesey for winning the 10km in a superb time of 39:44 closely followed in by Dan Melia and Naved Akhtar, and Ruth Horton the first female across the line in an impressive time of 52:58. Martin Farmer dominated the 5km with a winning time of 22:20 and Ruby Inman took the first female with an equally amazing time of 28:00 dead.
Another notable run came from Tom Kirby who took part in this year’s 10km. Tom has been supported at Midland Mencap for over 3 years now and as a keen runner has decided to run the London Marathon with Freddie another individual supported by a local group Harpenden Mencap. They will be running the London Marathon for Mencap as a squad of 15 runners to give back to all those who have helped them over the years. This will be an amazing achievement and we ask everyone to please get behind Tom and Freddie and the 13 other runners and support them through their London Marathon journey. Check out Tom’s fundraising page here
All finishers were awarded medals to mark their achievement and all photos of the event are now available to view online. Check out all the photo’s on our Facebook page here.
Massive thanks have to go to all our volunteers. Without all of you lovely people we would not be able to put on these great events and again massive congratulations must be given to all our runners and participants.
We look forward to welcoming you all back next year when we hope to make the event even bigger and more successful. Keep your eyes peeled for further information but for now, a big THANK YOU!
– Eloise Bull –
Midland Mencap is proud to offer you the opportunity to race in the Run Sutton Park 1k, 5k or 10k on behalf of our fantastic local charity.
The cost to register for this event is £5 for the 1K, £ 10 for the 5k and 10k for full deatils about the day vist the Mencap website click here.
Midland Mencap is a charity which works and campaigns for accessible and inclusive services and a better quality of life for everyone with experience of learning disabilities and additional needs. We are one of the region’s leading learning disability charities with a strong, respected and established reputation for excellence and innovation. You can find out more about us by visiting our website.
Interested?
We are now accepting registrations from runners who would like to fundraise for our charity on Saturday 13th October All we are asking is that you try your best to raise £100 on behalf of Midland Mencap.
To register to Run, jog or walk for Midland Mencap please call 0121 442 2944 or email info@midlandmencap.org.uk
Once registered we will send you information about setting up your fundraising page on Virgin Giving or on Facebook.