A phenomenon in the life of the everyday runner or jogger has emerged in recent years, that most people will be aware of, and I realised recently that I’ve never even mentioned it in this blog. So somewhat overdue; hats off to parkrun !
The brainchild of founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt, parkrun started back in 2004 when 13 runners, and five volunteers, got together on a blustery day in Bushy Park, Teddington and organised the Bushy Park Time Trial, which subsequently evolved into parkrun. For many years it was just that one event, but has subsequently grown over the years to it’s current strength of over 9 million registered participants accessing more than 2200 parkrun events each week in at least 23 countries worldwide.
In essence, the parkrun is simply an organised, timed 5k run/jog/walk that takes place at 9am every Saturday morning in a park somewhere near you !!! They are free, and are for all ages and abilities. You can treat it as a race if that’s what you want (n.b. no prizes or medals), a time trial to try and improve on, or just a gentle jog to meet up with friends and familiar faces and get your weekend of to a great start. There is no sense of elitism. First timers are always given a briefing to help them get to know the ropes, and are always made to feel welcome. Many regular parkrunners become much needed volunteers who help ensure the smooth running of each week’s event.
I’ve only done the two closest to where I live, but they offer a very different 5k experience; Tonbridge is a single lap flat, fast course (albeit a bit “twisty” in places) almost entirely on firm surfaces, whereas the Tunbridge Wells course is at least 50% cross country, and is either climbing or descending for much of the 2 lap course. Many people will make a point of seeking out the nearest parkrun to wherever they find themself when travelling.
Every run is timed, and you’ll receive your result by email, soon after the run is completed, so you can track your progress if you so wish. You can join in how you like: volunteer, walk, run, or simply go along and watch, so if you haven’t given it a go, I heartily recommend it. Find your nearest run, or get more info at https://www.parkrun.com/
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