Absolute Collagen Takes on the Great Birmingham Run!

The run is an annual half marathon held in the heart of Birmingham (near our Absolute Collagen HQ!), attracting thousands of runners from all over the country helping to raise money for various charities. This has been a great opportunity for the Absolute Collagen team to get involved and do something great for a brilliant cause that is close to our hearts.

The Great Birmingham Run has a great energy and fantastic atmosphere, everyone here at AC is truly excited to be a part of something so memorable. We wanted to make sure that the whole team could get involved, so we’ve been arranging different training runs, and encouraging the team to take on whatever that is a challenge to them - we have different team members running both the half marathon and others taking on the 10k race. Amongst the team, we have some experienced runners as well as some first timers so it's been fantastic to see everyone involved come together whether they are ‘pro runners’ or ‘pro walkers’! 

Team AC will be making a donation to Birmingham's Children Hospital. As a company we believe that it is incredibly important to contribute back to our community, especially to those who help and support us and our families. We’re extremely happy to once again be supporting the trust as just last week we did our charity bag drop off for the children and their parents residing at hospital.

Taking on the challenge of the Birmingham Half Marathon as a team came from our drive to make sure that we practise what we preach. Our “Strong In Your Skin” campaign with Emma Willis celebrates what is possible when you feel strong in your skin, share your stories and to strive to achieve greatness. So we wanted to give our team the chance to do just that. Whether the team members have thrived in training or whether they found it difficult we know that both are okay! It’s about being the best version of yourself. 

Moving away from your comfort zone is difficult but the reward will be immense! The AC running team knows this especially well as the race quickly approaches and the anticipation looms!

What does the run mean to AC?

It's important for us to have you all share your stories and experiences when it comes to discussing what makes you strong in your skin. But this time it's our turn! Here’s what the AC running team had to say about what doing the run means to them.

“For me, the run is about pushing myself, finding out my capabilities and my strengths and weaknesses. I think I’m quite critical of myself and I need to push myself to find out where my limits lie because in my brain I feel like I can't do things when I know I actually can.” - Darcy, Co-Founder/Chief Product and People Officer.

“The run is about seeing how far I can push myself but running is sometimes more than that. It's about being present. I have ADHD so my brain is constantly all over the place and I can really exhaust myself but running tends to centre me and keeps me balanced. The children’s hospital is so important, what they do is absolutely incredible and I just think as a business we have a duty to support local businesses that support and empower the community. So that’s why the run is important to me. - Maxine, Co-Founder

“It's a nice way to get the team together. I was planning on getting a half marathon pb but I'm injured so I might not be running which is a shame as it was a goal for me this year. But there'll be other opportunities I'm looking forward to.” - Sam, Creative Lead

“Doing the Birmingham run is so special to me as it’s a tour through my new home. Moving from South Africa and starting from scratch was tough, but by running through the streets of the city I now live in, I get the chance to reflect on how far I’ve come.” - Kaylee, Brand Manager

“Running for me (or walking in my case) will be taking me out of my comfort zone. I usually don't like this type of thing but I know it’ll be good for me and good for confidence.” - Hollie, Senior Ecommerce Executive 

“For me, I actually dislocated my knee when I was 14 so I didn't think I would be able to run comfortably. The training was difficult to begin with but it's been a good feeling knowing I can run further and I’m happy with the progression!” - Josh, Photographer/Videographer 

“Doing the run makes me feel accomplished and strong in my skin!” - Katy, Community Manager

“I’m not a runner and I don't really work out regularly but I wanted to sign up to this challenge to prove myself that I can do it, and I also wanted to start getting fitter for my wedding at the end of the year. It’s definitely not been easy, and I'm still training hard but I’m super proud of myself for sticking to it. The AC team has been super supportive throughout training and they’ve had faith that I can do it even when I'm having doubts myself. Wish me luck!” - Caz, Graphic Designer

“This run is the first run I have done in a very long time since having children so for me it is about building confidence in me and my body that I can do this after a long break!” - Gemma, Head of Brand

If you are along the route, go cheer the team on Sunday 7th May! 

Good luck everyone! Go team AC!