Shropshire games that inspired the modern Olympics return with a new track and international competitors
The Much Wenlock Olympian Games concluded last weekend
Competitors travelled from as far away as Dubai and Cyprus for the return of athletics to Shropshire’s historic Much Wenlock Olympian Games.
The games have been running in the town since 1850 when they were started by Dr William Penny Brookes.
They became the inspiration for the modern Olympic movement after Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the International Olympic Committee, visited the games in 1890 and used them as a blueprint for the Athens games in 1896.
However, last year the athletics events at the historic Shropshire games could not go ahead after the ageing track lost its UK Athletics accreditation in 2024.
But work on a newly resurfaced, all-weather synthetic track at William Brookes School, paid for by a £164,000 investment from the 3-18 Education Trust that runs the school, was completed earlier this year.
This allowed the athletics to return to the historic Wenlock Olympian Games last week, with the 140th running of the event concluding last Sunday.
Organisers of the games said they welcomed international competitors this year and a host of special guests.
A spokesperson for the games said: “A particular highlight of the 2026 games was the return of athletics to the resurfaced track at William Brookes School, following investment to secure the future of the facility for students, local athletes and the wider Wenlock Olympian Games programme.
“There was also a new 10k heritage road race at Gaskell Field replacing the previous seven-mile. This change attracted a full field of entrants who braved the hot conditions.
“While most competitors were from the local area, some people had travelled a distance to be part of these games.”
He said this included students from the International School of Dubai and athlete Lee Stevens from Cyprus.
“These were as well as regular visitors from Cardiff, Swansea, Wigan and Warrington and many more.
“Of note was the ‘Hay Bale Runner’ Lee Firmstone – who ran the 10k Road Race with a 20kg bale of hay on his back. He was running in aid of Shropshire Rural Support.
“The games also celebrated local achievement, including the Jimmy Moore Plate, which was awarded to Sally Wildig as the first Much Wenlock resident runner in the Road Race. Jimmy Moore was a local hero, running many marathons, but who died earlier this year.”
He added that medals were presented by a team of invited guests that included Anna Turner, Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire; Katy Tanner, Shropshire High Sheriff; David O’Toole, CEO of the 3-18 Education Trust; Geraint John, architect; Caroline Bagnall, Broseley mayor; Councillor Dan Thomas; Catherine Beale, author of the definitive history of the Wenlock Olympian Society ‘Born Out of Wenlock’; Ruth Shaw, head of William Brookes School and James Boak, head of PE at William Brookes School.
(All pictures courtesy of the Wenlock Olympian Games)
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