Pride History 5km Running Tour - Friday 24th May 2024 @ 6pm

It’s here, it’s queer, it’s our official Pride History Tour.

Step back in time with us, as we’ll tell you the story of how Birmingham’s Gay Village came to be.

It’s a fabulous tale…but one of exclusion, acceptance and uncertainty.

Starting in 1969, just 2 years after the decriminalisation of homosexuality, we’ll start at the original Nightingales Club Site (now a bush!)

We’ll take you on a 5km running journey through the most influential venues and moments from our cities LGBTQ+ scene.

Drawing on Pride History from around the World, we specifically look at Birmingham’s journey to becoming one of the UK’s thriving gay villages.

We’ll also spin around Smithfield’s, home of Birmingham Pride and former site for Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.

Before finishing our story back at the current Nightingales Club, looking ahead to a future of increased uncertainty for the survival of the village itself.

You’ll leave not only with a sense of pride in our glorious gay village, but you’ll know what jugs, rhinos and foxes have got to do with it all!

WHO’S IT FOR?

Local and visiting runsplorers that are comfortable running 1km without stopping.

This tour is the perfect way to see the Pride of Birmingham through a local runners eyes if you’re visiting, and we guarantee to teach you something new about your well-known Gay Village if you live here.

DISTANCE

5km

TIME

2 hours

*Times vary depending on pace and number of questions.

Equal parts moving and stopping.

MEETING (& END) LOCATION

Outside Nightingale Club, 18 Kent Street, Birmingham,
B5 6RD.

(look out for us smiling in orange).

STOPS

Nightingales Sites through the ages, Smithfields/Pride/CWG/Pride House Site, AIDS & HIV Memorial, Eden Bar/Jester, The Fox, Missing/The Rhino, Sidewalk/Nightingales.

PACE

Leisurely and enjoyable.

We stay together. No one gets left behind.

If you feel nervous about running this, please bear in mind that our tours contain frequent stops, so you will most likely be able to run further and faster with us than you would on your usual run.

Get ready to explore Brum like never before, through mind, body and sole.