Thousands of people will head to Durham for an annual running festival this week. Over four days, the 2025 Durham City Run Festival will see more than 3,000 participants in the city centre, plus large crowds of spectators. The festival is being organised by Events of the North, in partnership with Durham County Council, Durham University and SG Petch, and supported by the Radisson Blu Hotel, Durham.
The 2025 Durham City Run Festival kicks off with a special event in the Gala Theatre on Wednesday 16 July, when former BBC Look North presenter Jeff Brown will introduce an audience with Steve Cram, to celebrate the 40thanniversary of the time the North East athletics star broke three different world records in the space of only 19 days. They will be joined by special guests and together with a packed audience, relive each record breaking run on the big screen.
On Thursday 17 July, the centre of Durham will be taken over by runners and spectators for the popular Durham City 5K and 10K races. After a performance by a bugler from Durham based D Company 8 RIFLES, each run will be started by athletics legend Paula Radcliffe and Cllr Lyndsey Fox, Durham County Council cabinet member for economy and partnerships. Over 2,500 participants will tackle the undulating routes, that start outside the Radisson Blu Hotel and finish at the World Heritage Site in front of Durham Cathedral. Athletes and supporters will be entertained by music performed as part of Durham BRASS Festival from the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre loading bay. Once they finish, JP Physio will provide runners with free massages on Palace Green. As well as a bugler, D Company 8 RIFLES will be providing volunteers to help out on the evening.
The finale of the 2025 Durham City Run Festival will be on Saturday morning with Paula Radcliffe’s Families on Track at the old racecourse. Nearly 80 teams of three to five family members of all ages will complete 10K in a continuous relay. With an emphasis on fun and inspiring families to exercise together, Families on Track is a colourful event, and will involve more live music from BRASS performers. It will be a vibrant conclusion to the festival.
Steve Cram comments: “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to organise a large event like ours in such a special location. At every turn in Durham, our runners will be presented with another reminder of the long and fascinating history of the city, and the finish for the 10K and 5K races is truly spectacular. It’s not often that people can say that they have completed a race on a World Heritage Site. Durham Cathedral and Castle provide a fitting finale and make all of the hard work on a tough and undulating course feel very rewarding.
“Since we launched the Durham City Run Festival, we’ve been able to steadily add to what the event offers, and it’s now a firm fixture on the North East’s summer calendar. It’s been great working with Durham County Council, Durham University and other partners to develop the festival, and it now offers something for everyone who has an interest in running. It’s one of the highlights of my summer, and of the thousands of people who participate in the events or turn out to cheer on our runners.”
Paula Radcliffe: “Families on Track made its global debut in Durham, so it’s great to bring it back to where it all began. It was at the Durham City Run Festival where we proved that the concept worked, and there’s always a brilliant turnout and atmosphere here. Having fun is a core objective of Families on Track and it’s so good to see families enjoying being active together, especially in such a beautiful setting. I’ll always have a soft spot for Durham and I love coming back up here with my own family to be part of the festival.”
To find out more about the Durham City Run Festival, visit www.durhamcityrun.com.