Following its postponement in March earlier this year, the Adidas City Run will be held this Sunday, 18th November 2018.
Aptly described as an ‘epic closed road event’, this 10k run is across a large cross-section of Fulham, and will mean a wide number of roads in Fulham will be closed come Sunday. Amongst others, this includes the New King’s Road, Parsons Green Lane, Fulham Road, Munster Road and Dawes Road. These road closures will also have a severe knock-on effect for the surrounding community, with major grid-lock, and bus routes diverted and delayed. For more information about the roads that will be closed, and how you will be affected, please follow this link.
The impact is not only on vehicles. Around 20,000 Fulham residents living within the perimeter of the circular race will be unable to exit the area except for at a handful of “egress points” and at very specific times.
While organisers have advertised this City Run as the opportunity to run ‘through London’s most prestigious postcode’, they seem to be unaware that Fulham is a predominantly a residential area. This event will cause great disturbance and chaos to an estimated 20,000 residents, who will be unable to go about and enjoy their usual Sunday activities, such as going to giving or receiving care, attending Sunday morning church services, visiting relatives and dropping and collecting children from sports matches.
Given the impact this event will have, it is even more surprising that there has been no consultation at all with local residents, prior to Hammersmith & Fulham Council entering into a five year contract with organisers, and being paid just £20,000 a year for the use of Fulham streets. The Council has signed a five year contract, before a single one of these races has been run, to gauge the impact on the local area.
And publicity for the event in the local area has been minimal. The Council itself seems to have made no attempt to publicise it either.
Local MP Greg Hands, who was surprised to first hear of this "inaugural mass participation running event", having not been consulted on it, commented: "Even though the organisers claim that the route and road closure timings were carefully considered - including by Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Transport for London - and some of the profits are going to good causes, these road closures will cause immense frustration and inconvenience for local residents.
"It is incredibly worrying that the organisers are implying that this might become an annual event, and you can bet that local residents won't forget this total lack of consultation."
Unable to secure any meaningful involvement from the organisers and from Adidas in the UK, Greg has been on the phone to Adidas’s headquarters in Germany, speaking with the Chief Executive’s office. Greg has agreed with them to have a further call after the event.
In response to residents’ concerns about this ‘annual’ event, Greg has launched an online petition, which you can find here. Greg would be very grateful if you could take the time to add your name to this petition.