Running and race culture took to the streets of Worcester in a special event on Sunday evening. The organisers and sponsors of the Worcester City Runs teamed up with the city’s Rave Run Club for a night-time social run that attracted around 200 local people. They were joined by Rave Run Club founder Tom Adams, athletics legend Steve Cram, and Duncan Sutcliffe, managing director of Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers, title partner of the Worcester City Runs, which will be held on 12 and 13 September.
Established in 2014, the Worcester City Runs are organised by Events of the North, in partnership with Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council, and sponsored by local insurance broker Sutcliffe & Co. The two day festival of running includes the Worcester City 10K and Half Marathon, Young Athletes Runs, and Paula Radcliffe’s Families on Track initiative. Thousands of runners and spectators pack the streets of Worcester every year. The event has always been deeply rooted in the city’s community, and strongly supported by local running clubs and other groups.
The Worcester Rave Run Club was founded by Tom Adams in 2025. Adams, 44, leads night-time social runs, while carrying a 15kg speaker on his back that broadcasts dance and party music. The first Rave Run Club meeting was in November and about 70 people turned up – the initiative has grown and around 200 met up on Sunday evening, joined by Steve Cram, Duncan Sutcliffe and other members of the Worcester City Runs team.
Steve Cram comments: “I really enjoyed my Rave Run Club experience in Worcester. It was a great excuse to dig out some bright kit, put the headtorch on to enjoy a fantastic atmosphere. Initiatives like this show how running can be a powerful way to bring people together. The running is almost secondary to the social side of things, but it’s still at the heart of it all and has a really positive impact on both physical and mental health. The Worcester City Runs are already renowned for the brilliant buzz by the local community, and working with Tom and his Rave Run Club will only add to that when the event returns in September.”
Tom Adams adds: “Sunday night’s Rave Run was incredible. Having Steve Cram and Worcester City Runs there made it even more special. The atmosphere was unreal – everyone smiling, happy and just enjoying themselves, which makes the run feel that much easier.
“When Matt Tally and I founded Rave Run back in November, we never expected people to turn up, let alone be doing collaborations like this. It just shows how important building a community really is, especially in a world where things can sometimes feel lonely. Matt, myself and the team leaders are so proud of what we’ve created – a running club and a safe space where people can come together, move, and feel part of something.
“A big thank you to Duncan for helping make this collaboration happen. Hopefully it’s the first of many more partnerships that help promote running, bring communities together and encourage more people to get moving.”
Duncan Sutcliffe comments: “What a way to kick off the warm-up events for Worcester City Runs! We’re passionate about bringing the local community together in a fun-filled way and the Rave Run hit the mark on every level. You could feel the excitement building for the runs in September, which we hope will be the biggest yet.”
Places are open for the 2026 Worcester City Runs, enter now at www.worcestercityrun.com
