Shrewsbury midnight runners bring in the New Year with a difference – and no hangover
More than 200 people brought in the New Year with a difference as they joined together for a midnight run around a Shropshire park.
The Quarry, in Shrewsbury, was the venue for the Run UK AC event – with runners given the choice of one two-and-a-half kilometre lap of the park, two laps for a five-kilometre run, or four for a midnight 10k.
It was the second year the event had taken place, with Peter Metcalfe, director with the organisers, saying they wanted to give people a different way to celebrate – without starting the new year with a hangover.
"We want to provide an alternative to going out drinking where people can be part of something," he said.
"We had people coming from Coventry, from Bristol. It hammered it down with rain when we were setting up but it was fine as soon as the run started."
He added: "It is really fun, a different story to tell rather than I went and got drunk, and instead of waking up with a hangover and a lot less money you wake up feeling great.
"As soon as St Chad's chimed, fireworks went off all round – not organised by us, but it was really nice – there was music coming from the Boathouse pub.
"At the end there were people hanging around clapping other runners across the line."
Mr Metcalfe also praised the new lighting put in by Shrewsbury Town Council, which he said looked great as the runners set off on their laps of the course.
