welcome to this week's newsletter
In this week’s newsletter we all celebrate the ninth birthday (today) of the parkrun family and I hand over the writing reigns to the big man himself, Paul Sinton-Hewitt.
#loveparkrun
Tom
Today we are nine years old! Happy birthday parkrun.
Who would have imagined on that first day nine years ago as 13 folks lined up to run the inaugural event that we would now be overseeing over 45,000 runs a week and have in excess of 630,000 parkrunners registered. Even more mind-blowing is the fact that each week over 4,000 volunteers take the time to make this all possible.
Looking back over the past nine years there are many highlights that come to mind. Starting our second event in January 2007 required a great deal of guts and determination not to mention a little gentle persuasion from my close friend Jim Desmond. Leaving my ‘baby’, Bushy parkrun, in the hands of another good friend Duncan Gaskell, I headed over to Wimbledon to begin the parkrun expansion program. Allowing some 12 weeks to see if the project would be successful, I eventually walked away after six weeks when Ian Higgins and his team stepped up to take on the challenge of running this event. The principle of volunteering at parkrun was born.
That was 2007, the year when we grew to seven events. Included in this list is another memorable moment, starting Leeds parkrun. This was a point at which paths were crossed, friends made and lives changed. Tom Williams and Paul Tilley came down from Leeds University to discuss the potential of a parkrun in their city and Tom has since become a good friend and gone on to become parkrun UK’s Managing Director.
Reviewing the list of events that we started I have fond memories of some great courses and of meeting the finest people you could ever wish to meet. In fact, it would be wrong to call these folks friends because the way I am treated when I bump into them these days is like family.
Wimbledon parkrun has been a hotbed for influential meetings for me as it was there that I met Jonathan Sydenham, the pioneer who singlehandedly started parkrun in Denmark. It’s also the place where I sat down with Tim Oberg who has since driven the growth of parkrun in Australia and my relationship with adidas was also born at Wimbledon parkrun.
There are many significant moments that have contributed to the growth of parkrun, probably too many to recall today. But it would not be right to leave it there. There is my friend and colleague Bruce Fordyce, a legend in his own right long before parkrun and now the person spearheading a mini-revolution in South Africa. Jakub Federowicz who first ran at Newcastle parkrun has taken the concept to his home country of Poland and is fighting against the odds to make it successful there. Matt Shields is forging a parkrun path in Ireland while Lian De Charmoy is doing the same in New Zealand. A chance meeting online with Rick Brauer has led to the beginnings of a parkrun family in the USA.
Leaving all that aside for a moment and reflecting on that first event nine years ago, I remember feeling nervous. What if it didn’t work? What if the folks got lost? Then I remembered it’s just a simple run around the park with your mates. This remains the principle of parkrun. Of course we offer a great deal more, the volunteer teams always strive to make their event the best they can, but in truth when you line up at your parkrun next Saturday all that matters is a 5k run with your mates and having a bit of fun doing so.
Hugh Brasher, the London Marathon Race Director, once said to me that parkrun was the second most important thing to happen to running in the UK. The Marathon was a turning point that saw the average person take up distance running and he said that parkrun would have a similar effect. Looking back, the evidence is that he has been right so far, but lets not be complacent because for every person doing parkrun there are thousands who are not.
My goal is for there to be a parkrun in every town or village that wants one.
Have a great birthday party on Saturday, it will be a global celebration with all eight countries taking part. I hope that many of you will get involved by making short 30 second videos of your experience and uploading these to social media channels alongside the hashtag #loveparkrun.
Thank you for your involvement with parkrun, you are the folks making the difference.
Paul Sinton-Hewitt, parkrun founder
Like parkrun UK on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and get in touch here
would you like to #boostlondon?
During September and October, runners who applied for the Virgin Money London Marathon 2014 (VMLM) find out whether they have been successful in the ballot or not.
This week adidas are giving parkrunners another chance to win a place into this prestigious and exciting race.
All you need to do is visit www.adidas.co.uk/vmlm and you could be amongst the thousands of runners who are preparing to #boostlondon.
Already been accepted? Join in with @adidasuk who are talking VMLM all week.
The adidas running team
are you #TOP10PERCENT?
If you are taking part in the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon this Sunday you have the chance to become part of Lucozade Sport Elite’s exclusive Top 10% Club. This club is exclusively for elite runners and gives its members the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes, race places in Lucozade Sport sponsored running events and on-going discounts on Lucozade Sport Elite products.
So if you finish in the top 10% of runners this Sunday head to the Lucozade Sport Elite website for more information and to sign up for free.
Good luck!
congratulations on nine years from BOB!
Who would have thought that when parkrun first started nine years ago that it would have evolved into what it is today? In total in the UK alone 14,706,790 km’s have been covered, 2,941,358 parkruns completed, 348,041 runners involved, 221 locations started, nearly 150 years’ worth of total running time ran and most importantly: one community created.
parkrun is for everyone: mums, dads, kids, brothers, sisters, grandparents, neighbours, friends, amateur runners, passionate runners and people that hadn’t even considered running before. parkrun is one community and that’s what makes it special. BOB are proud to be official supporters of parkrun and we wish you every success for the future!
Happy birthday and long live parkrun!
event news
Please check your event's news pages for the most up to date information.
Cancellations and course changes this Saturday:
- Barnstaple parkrun is cancelled due to a memorial event taking place.
- Forest Rec parkrun is cancelled due to the Goose Fair using the course.
- Brueton parkrun is cancelled as no one is available to operate the event.
- Basingstoke parkrun will be at the Crabtree Plantation to allow for the setting up of the Basingstoke Half Marathon.
feedback from the field
Let us know if you have an interesting parkrun related fact, happening or comment that you would like to share with all parkrunners
Hi parkrun UK
I’ve been running parkrun since it came to Crystal Palace in 2009. Back then I would run with my son, then aged 22 months in his buggy. Fred now aged five helps with the tokens and cheers me round whilst I push his younger brother in the buggy. Recently Fred has said he would like to do parkrun, so we registered him online. We all lined up at the start, Fred with his Dad as chaperone and me with George. We were expecting Fred to only do one lap however to everyone’s amazement he finished the course in 33:52. As a mother I have never been so proud. The first thing he asked was if he could do it again!
Regards,
Rachel Bentley
Hi parkrun UK
I recently introduced my seven year old nephew Loris Minchin to Frimley Lodge parkrun. He has joined me for eight parkruns and is keen to get his 10 Club t-shirt. Loris ran his first parkrun in 38 minutes, then the next week he set a new PB four minutes quicker, the following week two minutes quicker. Every week except one he has beaten his previous PB. Last Saturday I let Loris set the pace and he made me work really hard! It’s great to see children like Loris improving and then starting to potentially show you up.
Regards,
Craig Hicks
Hi parkrun UK
Inspired by my seven year old son, 11 year old daughter and wife who are regular parkrunners, I started doing parkrun earlier this year. The kids love doing parkrun. My daughter has her 10 Club t-shirt and my son is nearly there. Being a role model for them is really important and I'm very happy to have got off the sofa to join in. The kids and I have now done our first triathlon at Alpe D'Huez in France and also the Brownlee Tri last week at Fountains Abbey. We are glad to see Jonny and Alistair Brownlee supporting parkrun too!
Regards,
Glenn Wilkinson
Hi parkrun UK
Just wanted to say I really enjoyed my second parkrun this morning at Temple Newsam parkrun, with my first being at Sewerby parkrun in the summer. It was all the more special and a privilege to meet and have my picture taken with not only two Olympic medalists but with Tom Williams himself! Carry on the good work.
Regards,
Debra Archer
Hi parkrun UK
This week marked my one year parkrun birthday. 52 weeks ago my life changed completely due to the positivity and support of everybody at Ipswich parkrun. The past year has been filled with one positive experience after another thanks to the guys there. Every week I get to join around 180 other passionate parkrunners either running or volunteering at the local park and share the joy and beauty of parkrun. Even my kids and partner have been bitten by the bug. For us it's not just a hobby, it's now a way of life. Even my two year old is desperate to join in! Thank you Ipswich parkrunners, for being so awesome.
Regards,
Linda Young
Hi parkrun UK
Two weekends ago my nephew Bobby Hunter, visiting from Australia, ran one lap of my home parkrun at Crystal Palace. Two weeks later whilst staying with family near Bridlington we attempted the Sewerby parkrun together with his Uncle Martin (a first timer). We had a warm welcome from the team there and Bobby amazingly ran the whole 5k in just under 30mins! He only turned six three weeks ago! He loved it, especially the lollipop handed to him by the kind volunteers at the end! Thanks to all at Crystal Palace and Sewerby parkrun.
Regards,
Nicola Webber
Hi parkrun UK
All my daughters, Isobel aged nine, Amelia aged seven and Elektra aged four, have been involved with parkrun since April now. We all go down as a family most Saturdays and run together but this last Saturday Elektra became the first of us to complete enough runs to gain a 10 Club t-shirt! That's right, our four year old has now run 50km during 10 parkruns and Amelia isn't far behind on eight parkruns. Karen and I proud of them all. Thanks for providing such a wonderful family environment.
Regards,
Danny Roach
Hi parkrun UK
I signed up for parkrun after being persuaded by a friend that it is great fun and finally ran my first one at Maidstone on the 21st of September. I took my dog along for moral support and found it was brilliant fun. I ran at the inaugural Great Lines parkrun this past Saturday and ran quicker than my first attempt at Maidstone! Thank you to everyone who makes the event possible, I think I am on my way to addiction!
Regards,
Helen Caston
Hi parkrun UK
We have just had our second anniversary at Kings Lynn parkrun a few weeks ago. I did my first parkrun at Brighton & Hove parkrun while visiting my cousin. I have since done over 80 parkruns, mainly at Kings Lynn parkrun. I also joined Ryston Runners AC aged 70 years old because many of their members run at Kings Lynn parkrun too. So I now do a variety of runs during the season. I have so many friends in the running fraternity and all due to joining parkrun whilst on a weekend away.
Regards,
Michael Ennis
Hi parkrun UK
I completed my first parkrun yesterday at Platt Fields Park in Manchester with my two daughters Heather (it was her first run as well) and Ellie, a more experienced runner. I can't believe I've only just discovered this. The support and encouragement is brilliant and it’s lovely to see all the other runners waiting at the finish to encourage the last few of us home. I can't wait to do my next run. Thanks everyone.
Regards,
Susan Brooks
Hi parkrun UK
On Saturday I left my home at 4:30am to travel to Antrim in Northern Ireland and support the new parkrun that started that day. It was toward completing another parkrun during my quest to complete a parkrun in every country which has a parkrun, or as I like to call it my ‘parkrun World tour’. The reception I received was excellent including the ladies who were providing refreshments. They showed great interest in my quest and wanted to talk about other parkruns I have done. Thank you to each and every runner in Antrim who made my visit so enjoyable.
Regards,
Charles Castleton
parkrunner of the week
Name: Albie Noble
Club: Unattached
Age: 0
Home parkrun: Huddersfield parkrun
Occupation: Baby
Number of runs: 0
Favourite volunteer role: Holding the position tokens once they've been scanned.
What do you do at parkruns: At parkrun I like to be pushed around in my pushchair by my mum, my dad, my big sisters, or my friends the bunnies! When I'm about six months old I'll be big enough to go in a running buggy so I can run with my mummy or daddy!
How has parkrun changed your running: Well, I can't walk or run yet, but give it a few years and I'll have the course record at Huddersfield!
What do you like about parkrun: Being with all my new friends!
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: Well, I wasn't there, but the cheers of all the parkrunners when Mark Nicholson the Event Director announced I'd been born sounds like it was amazing.
parkrun corner
When a member of the public asks "Is this a charity run?" I say "No". The next question asked is "So why are they doing it then?". So I’d like to ask rhetorically "Why do people parkrun?".
Event Directors and their teams of volunteers like to provide people with what they want. Unlike perhaps mass participation races and such like parkrunners are I’d say generally not taking part primarily in order to raise money for charity. There are even a percentage of people who take part in order to become better competitive runners.
Every week I see some runners arrive at parkrun, run and leave without ever seeming to really understand their motivation for being there. One way to understand this is to understand the challenge of parkrun. For some getting round the course is a challenge and I have to admire the motivation of some of these runners who come week after week and finish the run showing the strain on their face that just getting round the course has caused them. One of the most rewarding elements of being a parkrun volunteer is seeing this section of our community develop as their fitness improves and the run seems to become less of a challenge for them (although they might disagree with me). For some the challenge of improving their times is paramount and our pacer Saturdays are popular with this group, for others parkrun is part of a wider program of fitness that they are undertaking.
Ally Robb, Event Director of Strathclyde parkrun
reminders
barcode reminder
Barcodes are used at all our events to record your result. Please collect and print your barcode here. No barcode, no result!
all questions answered
Do you have a question about parkrun? How do I collect my club T-shirt? How do I get my barcode? All your questions are answered on our brand new support site
volunteering at parkrun
Every parkrun event relies on volunteers and in 2012 alone over 20,000 of you came forwards and supported your local event. Volunteering is a wonderful way to make friends, feel great and have fun. If that sounds like it's for you then please contact your local event team for more details.
upcoming anniversaries
October
Bushy Park parkrun 5th
Leeds parkrun 5th
Rushcliffe parkrun 5th
Savill Garden Juniors parkrun 5th
Aberdeen parkrun 12th
Southend parkrun 12th
Sunderland parkrun 12th
Woodley parkrun 12th
Edinburgh parkrun 19th
Richmond Park parkrun 19th
Finsbury Park parkrun 26th
Gunnersbury parkrun 26th
Gunpowder parkrun 26th
Lloyd parkrun 26th
children at parkrun
Children under the age of eleven must be accompanied at all times by a parent, guardian or appropriate adult of the parent's choice. It must also be ensured that children place themselves appropriately at the start so as to prevent a situation where they are being repeatedly overtaken. This is to ensure the safety of your child.
the parkrun show
You can download your copy of the parkrun show here. (iTunes)
The parkrun show is the audible roundup of the "goings on" of everything that caught the teams eye from the weekend in parkrunworld.
Brought to you by Marathon Talk.
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Today I found my Freedom
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