PARTY TIME AS POPULAR CHARITY RACE CELEBRATES 40TH BIRTHDAY
Runners are limbering up to celebrate a special anniversary of a race which has raised thousands of pounds for charity.
I absolutely loved taking part for the first time last year; it was such a great atmosphere with so many people waving and cheering you on along what is a very nice route.
Ioan Evans | JCB Business Degree Apprentice
JCB Warranty Manager Georgia Thorley, aged 26, of Cheadle, is also running it for the second time with her partner and fellow JCB employee Eddie Deaville. She said: “I signed up last year thinking it was a 5k race, not 5 miles but despite that I had a great time! I want to get more into running and I am going to use this year’s event as a kick start to getting fitter. The event really is good fun.”
Also on the starting line will be two former JCB employees who have competed in every single one of the races since 1983: Charles Bevan, 76, of Abbots Bromley and one of the event founders, Mick Grindey, 61, of Uttoxeter.
Mick said: “It is incredible that this event started 40 years ago from such small beginnings and has grown into such a popular fixture in the JCB calendar. The pressure is on me now to keep on running until the 50th anniversary of the race!”
The 2.2-mile fun run takes place around the JCB grounds and country lanes at 7.15pm. The undulating five-mile JCB Lakeside 5 takes in the glorious JCB grounds around the World HQ at Rocester before heading on to the local village roads and finishing on the JCB sports fields. It also starts at 7.15pm. To register for this year’s events, visit