welcome to the newsletter
In this week’s newsletter adidas #boostlondon, the Sweatshop sale continues, there’s some great feedback from the field, a wonderful parkrunner of the week, Mark Thompson takes pride in his community and I sample a little summer sun.
It’s not often I need sun cream at a January parkrun but last week Paul Sinton-Hewitt and I travelled to South Africa to meet with the wonderful folks at Discovery Vitality, then on Saturday morning I found myself on the start line of my first ever international parkrun event. Ever since Delta parkrun launched back in November 2011 I’ve wanted to run what looked like one of the most testing courses in the parkrun world. I have to say it certainly didn’t disappoint as the one-lap off-road route wound its way around the perimeter of the park, climbing almost non-stop between 1km and 3km. The southern hemisphere summer sun combined with the 5,000ft + altitude and my black 100 Club t-shirt made me feel this would be similar to running up a sand dune in the desert… a very steep sand dune in a hot desert! On the plus side however we did get to enjoy that wonderful post-parkrun experience of hanging around in the park for ages without developing hypothermia! Oh summer how I’ve missed you.
Vitality is a wellness programme created in South Africa now available here in the UK thanks to PruHealth and hearing about all the work they are doing in the field of personal wellness the synergy with parkrun is clear. For a while now we’ve felt that the real benefits of our free, weekly timed runs come in the form of local communities spending time together in open spaces and being active. My Dad moved to South Africa some six months ago and it was brilliant to finally meet his new parkrun friends who had kept him on track with his running. Having said that however he’s been injured for a few weeks and developed a newfound love for volunteering! That’s the beauty of parkrun of course, there’s something for everyone injured or not and maintaining that weekly habit makes strapping your trainers on so much more easy when you’re fixed.
Back in the UK we also managed to break our all-time attendance record despite smashing it to pieces just one weekend previously. With 44,023 runners and 3,194 volunteers, giving us a total of 47,217 people, our first 50K weekend is now within touching distance! As much as we really don’t place huge significance on numbers the more people involved with our events, the more people whose lives will be enriched by a free, weekly opportunity to hang out together in the open space and do something positive. That can only be a good thing.
See you on Saturday,
Tom
parkrunner prepares to #boostlondon
Many of you started 2014 off with a bang and took to the first Saturday parkrun of the year. We randomly selected one person from the day who entered our competition to win entry into the Virgin Money London Marathon 2014.
A big congratulation goes to Gareth Baker from Frimley Lodge parkrun, who was thrilled to win the prize. We wish Gareth, and any other parkrunners taking part, the best of luck for the preparations over the next few months.
adidas launch Team GB kit for the Winter Olympics
Since 1984, adidas has been the official sportswear provider to the British Olympic Association.
This week, Team GB are being kitted out at the adidas Head Office which also provided the platform for the official kit to be revealed for the first time. To see the kit reveal and to follow all the activity, follow @adidasUK on Twitter, Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Join adidas in going #allinforsochi
Sweatshop sale ends this Sunday
This weekend is your last chance to grab a bargain in the Sweatshop sale, so don’t miss out! parkrunners can also get an extra 10% off sale purchases* when presenting your printed parkrun barcode in a Sweatshop store, or visit Sweatshop online and use promo code PRKTEN at the checkout.
To find your nearest store visit www.sweatshop.co.uk/stores.
* Terms and Conditions apply.
event news
Please check your event's news pages for the most up to date information.
Cancellations and course changes this Saturday:
- Wythenshawe parkrun is cancelled due to a waterlogged course.
- Yeovil Montacute parkrun is cancelled due to a waterlogged course.
- Bromley parkrun is cancelled due to flooding.
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
On the 17th of July in 2013 I was hit by a car whilst cycling to work. I didn't think I'd run again for a year which was particularly upsetting as I was on my 42nd parkrun. A get well card from Tom Williams himself cheered me up though! Since then Dewsbury parkrun has played a huge part in my rehabilitation. I volunteered in a wheelchair, then a deckchair and then finally on my own two feet! This allowed me to continue to have a 'normal' Saturday with friends. On the 16th of November in 2013 I decided to try walking one lap of the Dewsbury course. One hour, one minute and eight seconds later I'd walked 5k! I've walked every week I’ve taken part since and various people have accompanied me each time. Saturday the 11th of January was my 50th and my time was 38 minutes and 23 seconds. Thank you parkrun, especially Dewsbury parkrun, for helping me achieve this milestone.
Regards,
Rachel Le Borgne
Hi parkrun UK
About nine months ago parkrun changed my life. Saturday used to involve sleeping late and mooching about on the sofa until maybe venturing out, if the mood took me. Since attending the first Porthcawl parkrun, where I incidentally could not even manage to get as far as the 2km mark, my life has changed so much. I knew of parkrun but didn't know what it was until my first time (and in freezing cold conditions) which has been followed by so many more. I'm now well over halfway to that coveted red 50 Club t-shirt. I've volunteered when ill or injured and love the support and camaraderie of everyone, both fellow parkrunners and marshals alike. Thank you.
Regards,
David Power
Hi parkrun UK
I recently ran my first parkrun at Northampton and despite the pouring rain thought it was great. I found running in a group very motivating and trying to keep up with some runners in front dragged me through the finish line over a minute faster than I have run 5k before! Keep up the good work!
Regards,
Kevin Garner
Hi parkrun UK
I’m very proud of my son Fred Bentley who received his 10 Club t-shirt on Saturday at Crystal Palace parkrun. We believe he is the youngest at Crystal Parkrun parkrun to get his 10 Club t-shirt at the age of five.
Regards,
Rachel Bentley
Hi parkrun UK
My parkrun is at Harrow Lodge in Hornchurch. It seems to have more uphill bits than downhill bits and is a bit of a quagmire with the mud usually being more than ankle deep. As with all other parkruns the volunteers really lift the spirits, particularly towards the end of the course when the mud seems to have drained the last of the energy from your legs. Chatting to other runners, just when I'm feeling too tired to carry on, I realise that many others are feeling just as tired and that give me the motivation to keep going. My goal is to break the 25-minute barrier, when its drier!
Regards,
Paul Lambert
parkrunner of the week
Name: Sigrid Robson
Club: Petts Wood Runners
Age: 50
Home parkrun: Hilly Fields
Occupation: Speech and Language Therapist
Number of runs: 137
Favourite volunteer role: Timer
What do you do at parkruns: A mixture of running and volunteering. I enjoy both aspects of parkrun equally. When I run, I try to run as fast as I can even if I tell myself to take it easy for once. As soon as the starter says "Go", it feels as if a switch has been flicked and I'm off. If I marshal, I like to give vocal encouragement to the runners because it's fun and I hope it motivates people. All volunteer roles are fun though especially as you're part of a community.
How has parkrun changed your running: Big time! I've made many new friends through parkrun and am now a member of a running club. The biggest change has been in my pace. When I started parkrun I got round in about 27 minutes. Now I do it in around 23 to 24 minutes, depending on the parkrun. My PB is 22:38, set in September last year. Nowadays the weekend seems incomplete if I haven't started it with a parkrun.
What do you like about parkrun: Mainly the community spirit and the inclusivity of the event. It doesn't matter how young or old you are, whether you are new to running or an experienced club runner, parkrun pulls everyone together. I like the fact that you can travel almost anywhere in the UK and find a parkrun within easy travelling distance. No excuses then! I also like the social side of volunteering and meeting other runners in the cafe afterwards. What's not to like?
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: Running in the snow at Norman Park in Bromley in January 2010. There was no point in trying to go fast as there was no PB potential in those conditions, so you could just do an easy run and enjoy it. The snow dampened all the sound and it was beautifully quiet. There was a brief blizzard during the run, adding a little drama to the event. I loved the sound and feeling of the fresh snow crunching under my feet and, somewhat later, thawing out with a hot cup of coffee at home.
parkrun corner
Yes it's the time of year when parkrun attendance records are smashed... it's ‘New Year's Resolution’ time. I suspect that in the real world the percentage of resolutions that are still unbroken by the end of January is pretty small. In parkrun world, I have no doubt that figure would be much higher.
Rewind a few years... someone makes a resolution to get fit and decides to give running a try. They run on their own and dislike it. They give up, end of their New Year's resolution. Fast forward again to 2014 and someone making the same resolution. They hear about parkrun from a friend. They go along. Realise loads of people are in the same position. Find that they are running with people of the same pace. They support and encourage each other and are supported by lots of other people running or volunteering.
At the end of the run that person has had a rewarding experience both physically and socially and will come back again. What could be better than being supported in your resolution? Forget the doubters who say you'll never do it, with your support crew you'll show them! Support is what parkrun is all about. At a time when the concept of community is becoming rarer and rarer in society, parkrun bucks that trend.
We are a community. We praise and celebrate the good times, we encourage in the tough times and we support in any way that we can through the bad times.
We can all be very proud to be part of that community.
Mark Thompson, Braunstone parkrun Run Director and parkrun UK Ambassador
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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 2013 alone over 33,000 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
January
Barnsley parkrun 25th
Cambridge parkrun 25th
Eastbourne parkrun 25th
Forest Of Dean Juniors parkrun 25th
Walthamstow parkrun 25th
February
Bexley parkrun 1st
Bolton parkrun 1st
Coventry parkrun 1st
Hillsborough parkrun 1st
Mile End parkrun 1st
Temple Newsam parkrun 1st
Wolverhampton parkrun 1st
Frimley Lodge parkrun 8th
Newbury parkrun 8th
Cardiff parkrun 15th
Cheltenham parkrun 15th
Gateshead parkrun 15th
Telford parkrun 15th
Valentines parkrun 15th
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.
our sponsors
all out performance
adidas has been focused on athlete's performance since the first running spikes were made in the 1920s earning the first Olympic gold medal in adidas shoes. Today, adidas is proud to be supporting parkrunners everywhere. Explore adidas running adidas.com
Helping people be the best they can be
For 40 years, Sweatshop the award winning running store, has been helping runners find the perfect products for their individual needs. Find your closest store at sweatshop.co.uk
Health insurance that rewards you for living well.
We want you to live life well. Our health insurance makes it cheaper and easier for you to get healthy with discounts on things like gym memberships, sports shoes and bikes - and motivates you with rewards like free cinema tickets to savings on holidays. And importantly, if you do get ill - we'll always ensure you have access to the best possible medical care. Discover Vitality wellness
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Inspiring runners of all levels
For information on all events organised by the London Marathon, please visit london-marathon.co.uk
Delivering your results earlier
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Connecting parkrunners everywhere
For information on the mobile communications company, please visit three.co.uk
Today I found my Freedom
For more information about BOB running strollers, please visit bobgear.co.uk