A mother and daughter are showing their mettle as a team of 15 runners representing one of Shropshire’s leading employers takes an annual trip to Greece. For more than 15 years, Bridgnorth Aluminium has funded employee places at the Athens Marathon and 10k races and 2026 sees a team of 15 headed to the city. The firm, which is owned by Viohalco, a Belgium-based but Greek rooted company, will join colleagues from other companies in the group, with the Bridgnorth team made up of first-time runners and experienced marathon veterans. Four employees will be running the full marathon race, including team leader and Learning and Development Partner, Elliott Lynch, while a further eleven will be taking on the 10k race.
Elliott, who has been carrying a significant injury leading into the event, is excited to lead the team for a fifth straight year and is up for the challenge. He said: “The race runs along a legendary route from the town of Marathon into Athens and finishes in the historic Panathenaic Stadium, which is where the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896. “We’re all really excited for it now, having been in training for some time and it is always a proud moment to represent Bridgnorth Aluminium alongside other companies in the Viohalco group.”
Alongside Elliott, former apprentice Abbey Baldwin, whose mother Kerry Cox, a Production Operator is running the 10k, is also taking on the marathon. Sean Whelan, who also represents Bridgnorth Running Club, is working through a list of marathons with Athens set to be his latest, while fellow employee Jonathon Morgan is stepping up from running his first 10k to a marathon. Elsewhere, Julie Mortimer is taking on her first 10k race, along with other first timers Luke Kilvert, Ronan Minatel de Godoy, Nikolina Austin and Ian Vinall. Duncan Edwards returns to racing having run a marathon in the past, with Daniel Link, Craig Cartwright, Chris Cadwallader and Brandon Hunter making up the team.
Elliott added: “As is the case quite often, there is such a wide variety of runners in the team, from those experienced in marathons to people who have not taken part in any sort of race before. “We’ll all be there to help each other along and the main thing is to enjoy it. The races are challenges, especially with some of us carrying injuries.
“However, it is about representing the company and embracing the event, and hopefully it’ll keep those first timers running and inspire other colleagues to get their running shoes on.”
