Percy Pud 10K: Everything you need to know ahead of race, including road closures, history and course records
It’s one of the hottest tickets in town, selling out within hours.
But we’re not talking about a festival or gig; we’re talking about Sheffield’s beloved Percy Pud 10K race, taking place again this Sunday, December 1, from 9.30am.
Around 3,000 runners who were lucky enough to secure their places are set to take part this year in the hugely popular race.
Why is Percy Pud 10K so popular?
The Christmas pudding awaiting each participant at the finish line is undoubtedly part of the appeal, but there’s much more to it than that.
The stunning scenery, with breathtaking views across Loxley Valley and over Damflask Reservoir; the sense of camaraderie; the wacky costumes; and the post-race music and food all contribute to making it such a memorable and sought-after experience. The fact it’s also a relatively flat course, by Sheffield standards at least, also adds to the popularity.
The race, which starts and finishes on Loxley Road, Loxley, began life in 1993, with just 600 people taking part. It grew rapidly before being capped at around 3,000 runners.
The event was dreamed up in the pub over a few beers by members of the Steel City Striders running club.
Where does the race’s name come from?
One of the things which still puzzles people is the origin of the name.
Former race director Alan Barnett said he had been asked this many times, the first time being when he was interviewed by Julie Mills for Radio Sheffield the day before the first ever race.
“Believing that you need a catchy name and logo, I told her that the name is based on a pre-war local runner named Percy, who after winning his first race on a Boxing Day attributed it to the fact that he had eaten a whole Xmas pudding on Christmas day!” he explained.
“After that he always ate a Christmas pud the day before a race, which invariably he always won!”
What are the course records?
The race attracts runners from all over the UK and beyond, with competitors having travelled from Germany and Japan in previous years.
As well as fun runners, Percy Pud attracts some elite athletes, including the Commonwealth Games champion Eilish McColgan, who has taken part numerous times.
She holds the women’s course record, of 31 minutes, 48 seconds, set in 2019, while Omar Ahmed, of Birchfield Harriers, set the current men’s course record, of 28 minutes, 59 seconds, in the same year.
A £1,000 prize is on offer to anyone breaking the course record, with the first man and woman across the line each receiving a trophy, vouchers and a magnum bottle of Champagne, along with their Christmas pudding.
Road closures this year
Proceeds from the race are donated to good causes locally, with thousands of pounds raised over the years for charities including St Luke's Hospice and Weston Park Cancer Charity.
For photos of the Percy Pud 10K in years gone by, visit: https://www.thestar.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/retro/sheffield-retro-19-photos-looking-back-looking-back-at-citys-much-loved-percy-pud-race-over-the-years-4879878
For a list of all road closures in place for this year’s race, visit: https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/traffic-and-travel/percy-pud-10k-2024-all-the-road-closures-in-place-as-hugely-popular-sheffield-race-returns-4871541