BARBS, the UK’s first authentic Bajan fast casual restaurant, is teaming up with UK endurance athlete Rey Smart to host a community run in central London.
BARBS x Run 246, is a community 5k run and cultural celebration taking place on the morning of Saturday 28 February.
The social-paced run will start at the Barbados High Commission and finish at BARBS’ home on the ground floor of Queen of Hoxton, where runners will be welcomed with Barbados-inspired food, soft drinks and rum punch.
The event follows Smart’s recent endurance challenge, a 100km-plus solo run around the entire island of Barbados, completed in over 18 hours in blistering heat in support of Cancer Research UK.
The run, part of Smart’s Run 246 initiative, celebrated Barbadian heritage while raising awareness and funds for cancer research, generating attention across the Caribbean and the UK.
BARBS x Run 246 will bring that same spirit to London blending movement, music, food and culture in a one-off community event designed to be inclusive, celebratory and unapologetically Bajan. Open to all abilities, the run is as much about connection as it is about kilometres.
Since opening at Queen of Hoxton, BARBS has positioned itself as more than a restaurant, acting as a cultural hub where food, community and Caribbean identity collide. This collaboration extends that ethos beyond the kitchen, transforming a Saturday morning run into a shared cultural moment.
Rey Smart said: “Run 246 was about honouring my roots and proving what’s possible when culture and community come together. Bringing that energy to London with BARBS feels like the perfect continuation.”
Event Details
Date: Saturday 28 February
Warm-up: 10:20am
Start: Barbados High Commission (1 Russell Square)
Run: Social-paced 5K (all abilities welcome)
Finish: BARBS at Queen of Hoxton, Shoreditch
On arrival: Food, soft drinks and rum punch
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barbs-x-run-246-tickets-1982545493941
Fundraiser: https://limitseekers.huel.com/fundraising/huel-rey-runs-barbados