Sports therapy students step up to support London Marathon and Great Birmingham Run

May 2025

By Sean Madden

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Sports therapy students have been on hand to offer therapeutic support to participants running for a number of charities at both the London Marathon and Great Birmingham Run.

The students, in Years 2 and 3 of their Sports Therapy BSc (Hons) degree must complete a total of 200 placement hours in order to graduate, and have worked at a variety of sports rehabilitation clinics, athletics championships, and football clubs including Premier League Aston Villa.

They were also joined by first year students who eagerly used the opportunity to gain crucial, real-world experience of using their skills and working as a team in a clinical environment.

The Department of Sport has a long-standing relationship with the flagship London Marathon, having offered support for almost fifteen years, while this was the third consecutive year students have worked at the Birmingham run. Thirty students travelled to London while seven trainee therapists used their clinical skills in Birmingham.

As more than 16,000 people took part in the Great Birmingham Run and a record-breaking 56,640 participants ran the 26.2 miles in London - making it the largest marathon in history - students assisted runners raising money for a number of brilliant causes.

In London, partners were Whizz Kidz, Sue Ryder, Victa, Stroke Association, Action Research, Save The Rhino, and The Children's Trust, while back in the Midlands, support was given to Birmingham Children's Hospital and the St Basil’s youth homeless charity.

Before, during, and after each run, students were on hand to aid with injury assessment, recovery strategies, and post-event sports massage while also providing education in areas such as preparation and injury management.

Third year student Sayal Gurung worked at both events and found the experience enriching and rewarding: “It was a great to be able apply my clinical skills in real time and to speak with runners about the services we offer at our university clinic, such as injury assessments and rehabilitation treatment plans,” he said.

“It was a brilliant opportunity to help us as students gain experience and support communities around Birmingham.”

The University's Sports Therapy faculty assisted students at each event, underlining the close-knit relationship between staff and students.

Lecturer in Sports Therapy Matt Greasley said: “We’re essentially training colleagues of the future, and these events provide a brilliant opportunity for students to work with the athletic population and put everything they’re taught into practice.

"It's great way to round off all of the theoretical work they do across the different modules, especially for third years, and it helps to put into perspective how everything relates to the workplace.”

Kim Webb, Senior Fundraising, Partnership and Impact Manager for Victa said: "The students from University College Birmingham were fantastic. They worked tirelessly, communicated well with each other and with me, and were thoroughly appreciated by our runners.

"We were all sincerely grateful for all their efforts."

Learn more about courses in the Department of Sport

"By engaging with a wide range of participants, I developed both my practical skills in soft tissue techniques and my interpersonal abilities. Working with charities also gave me a deeper appreciation for the role of sports therapists in community and public events.

"Opportunities like this are vital for gaining real-world experience, building professional confidence, and applying classroom knowledge in a fast-paced environment."

Sayal Gurung Year 3 student, Sports Therapy BSc (Hons)