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The Course

The course is 5000m (5K) long. This has been accurately measured by us with a professional measuring wheel. The course is in the Cannon Hill park in Birmingham, and entirely on tar, although some sections of the course do accumulate mud, leaves and puddles after rain. Dependent on availability, marshals will be at key sections of the course, or temporary signs in place.

Please remember that the parkrun uses shared paths. For the continued success of the event, please give way to other park users. This won't hurt your time, it won't stop you from getting a PB and it will make sure everyone continues to to enjoy the event.

Please, wherever possible walk, jog, cycle or use public transport when attending the event. If you do have to drive, please consider car-sharing to reduce our impact on both the environment and other park users.  Please also watch out for other park users when arriving and leaving. Parking is limited so try to arrive early.

Course Safety

The Cannon Hill parkrun is a fun, free event organised by volunteers for the benefit of everyone. We wish to make the run as safe as possible, so runners, spectators and helpers are asked to take care about the following:

  • Please be considerate to the park and other park users at all times.
  • Please arrive by foot, by pedal-power or by public transport if you can - your efforts help to reduce our impact on the park and the planet.
  • Please consider volunteering to help occasionally - this event survives only because of your generosity - please vist the volunteer page for more information.
  • Take care near roads and car parks - some vehicles drive very quickly. Please congregate away from the cars and be careful in particular if you have children. If you’re driving to the run, please drive carefully even if you’re late!
  • When running, take care on uneven surfaces - whether on grass or on tarmac. Watch out for cyclists, other runners, pedestrians, children, deer, dogs, vehicles, park maintenance work, falling branches, bollards, posts and other obstacles around the course.
  • Runners with dogs are welcome, but please keep dogs on a short lead or harness and under control throughout the event.
  • Runners pushing buggies are also welcome, but please take extreme care of other runners around you. If possible start from the back of the field and try to keep to one side of the main body of runners.
  • Please make sure you’re fit enough to run 5k (3.1 miles). Health advice about running can be found at the excellent Runners' Medical Resource website.
  • Remember to warm up before the run.
  • If you see a runner with a serious problem, please stop to help them out and get help as soon as possible.
  • If you’re watching, keep clear of runners on the course, and look after any children and dogs you may have with you.
  • While rare, Lyme Disease is present in areas where deer live, and occasionally passed to human’s through infected ticks. See NHS Choices website for more about Lyme Disease, and how to deal with ticks.
  • This is a free training event, so all run and attend at their own risk.

We hope these tips help to ensure that Cannon Hill parkrun is fun and safe for everyone.

Age Grading

All parkrun events use Age Grading to help athletes compare results.

Age Grading takes your time and uses the world record time for your sex and age group to produce a score (a percentage). This score allows you to compare your personal performance against other people's performances even though they might be a different age and a different sex to you - the higher the score the better the performance. The scores can also be compared across different run distances - to allow you to, for example, compare a 5km time against a marathon.

For more information, please see the Running For Fitness website.

Course Description

The course starts opposite the Garden Tea Rooms from the little toy train shelter called "Cannon Hill Station".

Run clockwise round the park with the lake on your right. At the branch in the path, turn left past the playground; keep on this path until you reach a triangle of paths. Run round the triangle and retrace the path back to the lake. Turn left and run clockwise round the lake back to the start.

Carry on round the lakes for another lap. On reaching the station again, turn right on to the path down the side of tennis courts. Follow tennis courts then bowling green keeping left on to the grass to finish.

Course Map


View Cannon Hill parkrun in a larger map

Getting There

Location of Start

The start is on the main path opposite the Garden Tea Rooms. The nearest entrance is from Edgbaston Road but it is easily accessed from the main car park ( 5 minute walk across the park, past the tennis courts) or from the Russell Road entrance

Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, is opposite the County Cricket Ground on Edgbaston Road, off Pershore Road (A441) and Bristol Road. (A38).

Travelling by car

M5: From junction 4 of the M5 motorway, take the A38 towards the centre of Birmingham.  Approximately one mile past Birmingham University (on Bristol Road) turn right into Priory Road. Cross the next set of traffic lights, which takes you into Edgbaston Road, turn right at the traffic lights into the car park

M6: Take junction 6 off the M6 motorway and the A38M (Aston Expressway) all the way through Birmingham City Centre.  This will take you through the Queensway Tunnel and along Bristol Street, with Bristol Street Motors on the left hand side.  Carry on straight through the traffic lights until the next set and turn left into Priory Road.  Go through the next set of traffic lights into Edgbaston Road and you will see the signs for Cannon Hill Park and mac approximately 150 metres ahead.

M40/M42: At the junction of the M42 take the right hand lanes marked M5 (South and West), Birmingham (S&W).  Leave the M42 at junction 3 and take the A435, Birmingham South.  Stay on the A435 through two shopping centres on Alcester Road South.  After passing through the second shopping centre (Kings Heath) take the first exit at the traffic lights, following B4217, Edgbaston, Ladywood.  Follow the road and go straight over at the small traffic island and carry on until you approach another traffic island, take the first exit.  You will see the entrance for the park approximately 150 metres on the left.

City Centre: From Birmingham City Centre, take the A441 to Redditch.  Approximately 2 miles from the centre of Birmingham, turn left into Edgbaston Road.  You will see the entrance for the park on the right approximately 150 metres ahead after the traffic lights.

Travelling by bus

No 1: From Five Ways, Egbaston, Moseley and Acocks Green.  The no 1 stops right outside the park pedestrian entrance on Edgbaston Road.
No 35: From City Centre, Balsall Heath, Moseley and Kings Heath.  The no 35 stops on Willow Road just around the corner from the pedestrain entrance on Edgbaston Road.
No 45/No 47: From City Centre (Corporation Street, Stephenson Street, Smallbrook Queensway), Selly Park, Stirchley, Cotteridge and Kings Norton.  The buses stop on Pershore Road, five minutes walk from the park.
No 62/No 63: From City Centre (Corporation Street, Suffolk Street Queensway), Rubery, Rednal, Gannow, Northfield and Selly Oak.  All three buses stop ten minutes walk from the park on the Bristol Road, near the Priory Road/Bristol Road traffic lights.

Cycling to Cannon Hill Park

The park is in the middle of National Cycle Route 5 and is readily accessible by bike from Birmingham City Centre and further afield. There are bike racks available in the main car park and also just outside the Garden Tea Rooms.

Post Run Coffee

Please join us for a post run coffee at the Garden Tea Rooms, 100m from the Edgbaston Road entrance to the park, follow the main path from the gate and the cafe is on your left.