welcome to the newsletter
In this week’s newsletter BOB’s competition continues, the Join In Local Leaders pay us a visit, we embrace running clubs, James Saunders suggests a rest and Anita takes us on her parkrun journey.
A few weeks ago Tom told us he was going to take some time off and that he wouldn’t be writing the newsletter. I was fine with that. Then he suggested that Jo Sinton-Hewitt would write the main section for the first week. I was fine with that too. Then he suggested that I write the main section for the second week… and I wasn’t so fine with that! I felt like someone was asking me if I wanted to host the Oscars ceremony! I mean, the great and the good have written in this newsletter! So here I am today.
Many of you might never have heard of me, as I am very much a person in the background at parkrun UK. My name is Anita Afonso and I joined parkrun UK almost five years ago as an Event Activator. At that time, that made me the second employee of this young but already fast-growing organisation. I still remember the day of my job interview. It was on a Saturday and at a parkrun! That was actually my first ever parkrun, on the 21st of February 2009 (almost exactly five years ago today). Paul Sinton-Hewitt told me he had to go to Wimbledon parkrun to give a Club t-shirt to a friend and suggested that we meet there afterwards.
I am sure most of you can relate to my first witnessing of a parkrun event. It was Wimbledon parkrun event #112. I turned up in the middle of an open grass area with people everywhere. Some were chatting, others parking their cars, some were warming up and some were just waiting quietly. I was one of the last ones. Suddenly someone stood up on a bench (that was Ian Higgins, then Event Director and Run Director on the day) and explained what was going to happen. I thought “that’s really cool”. When he finished his pre-run briefing, someone else stood up on the bench (it was PSH) and congratulated him for his efforts as Event Director of Wimbledon parkrun and for achieving 50 parkruns and then gave him the iconic red 50 Club t-shirt. Everyone congratulated him and I thought “that’s really cool too”. Then we all walked to the start line, and Ian joined us to run and here I was, on a muddy Saturday in South West London, running my first ever parkrun.
After that, I met with Paul and Chris Wright (the first parkrun employee) in the park’s café for my job interview. As we were all ‘parkrun fresh’ and drinking tea that actually helped me feel be a bit more relaxed about the purpose of our meeting. One of the things I remember the most from my interview is us talking about the key role of the volunteers in the vision to see parkrun grow across the UK. We talked about the fact that there were only 10 events but that they had received many enquiries from locations around the UK and even abroad. That’s how it all started for me…
5 years and 230 parkrun events later, who would have thought that parkrun would be as huge as it is today and still growing very fast! My role within parkrun UK hasn’t changed much. I’m still looking after the development of parkrun in the UK and the way we support new local communities looking to start new parkrun events. I am amazed every day to be part of a movement where people like you and me are those who actually make a difference. Every parkrun dot on the parkrun map is the work of a group of volunteers who got together to deliver a sporting legacy to their community. These dots are still on the map because every week teams of volunteers make these runs happen, giving a chance to anyone to be socially and physically active every week, and all for free!
Something else that we hadn’t planned happened during those five years. We started to get more and more offers from volunteers who felt parkrunning on Saturday wasn’t enough and were offering to do more. This was mind-blowing to us at first but with these offers increasing, parkrun UK expanding and our team remaining small, we recently decided to give it a go. Last year, we added a new layer into the parkrun organisation and welcomed the parkrun UK Ambassadors. This remains very embryonic and experimental at the moment, but these super-experienced and willing volunteers allow a proximity support for parkrun communities all across the UK. They help us activate new events by meeting with the teams and sharing their knowledge and experience but they also help us look after the existing events. Amazing!
parkrun volunteers and their loyalty and belief in parkrun really are the keys to the success of this amazing phenomenon. Whether we run at parkrun, volunteer, watch our friends, or come for the tea afterwards, let’s all be proud to be a part of it and let’s spread our parkrun love.
Coming back to my role within parkrun if I have one piece of advice to give anyone interested to start a new parkrun or anyone involved in the activation of a new parkrun it would be to “keep it simple!” - a community of people, every weekend. That’s it.
Joyeux parkrunning,
Anita Afonso
BOB Revolution PRO - be the first
There are now just two parkruns left to enter our competition to be one of the first in the UK to own the brand new BOB Revolution PRO, the first pushchair on the market to be approved for running that features a front swivel wheel.
The BOB Revolution PRO is the ultimate pushchair for active parents, featuring adjustable suspension, high impact polymer wheels, a height adjustable handle and tracking adjustment. The front swivel wheel along with TÜV approval for running and skating means you can safely use the Revolution PRO for parkruns and country walks as well as shopping trips around town.
Not available in the UK until April, we’re offering parkrunners the chance to become the first to own a BOB Revolution PRO. We’ll even throw in a Weather Shield and a Warm & Fuzzy Cosytoes, a total prize worth £534!
In order to enter, simply either run or volunteer at any parkrun between now and the 1st of March and then complete the entry form on your notification email. Good luck!
Join In this weekend!
Our friends at Join In - the charity who help put more volunteers into grassroots sport - will be visiting four local parkrun events this weekend.
We are pleased to welcome Join In at the following parkruns:
- Maidstone parkrun, Kent
- Poole parkrun, Dorset
- Preston Park parkrun, Sussex
- Southend parkrun, Essex
Every sporting event organised in the local community is dependent on the massive contribution made by volunteers and parkrun is no exception.
Join In is the new home of the London 2012 Gamesmakers and its aim is to keep the spirit of their volunteering alive through supporting grassroots sport. They have recently launched a search for ‘Local Leaders’, a recruitment drive aimed at attracting 250 brilliant volunteers, who will become the face of Join In in their local area.
If you think this could be you why not pop down to Maidstone, Poole, Preston Park or Southend this Saturday for a chat with the Join In team or apply online with Join In today.
engage with your local running club
Running clubs are always welcome to promote themselves at their local parkrun as we are very keen to encourage people to join these clubs and to promote the growth of local running communities beyond a Saturday morning.
To help facilitate this we encourage and invite running clubs to liaise with nearby parkruns and their volunteer teams to promote themselves and associated races. This can be done via their website’s news pages, social media channels and even through various forms of publicity at our events. We really want and would love to see running club’s races regularly sell out too.
If you would like to get your club on the radar of your parkrun community please contact the local volunteer team. You could go along and talk about your club, exhibit your club’s flag, give out your club’s details, fill volunteer slots on the volunteer roster, wear your club vests en masse and maybe even provide a few pacers...
They will welcome you with open arms.
event news
Please check your event's news pages for the most up to date information.
Cancellations this weekend:
- Bromley parkrun is cancelled due to a waterlogged course.
- Lincoln parkrun is cancelled due to another event in the park.
- Nonsuch parkrun is cancelled due to a waterlogged course.
- Yeovil Montacute parkrun is cancelled due to a waterlogged course.
- Harrow Lodge parkrun is cancelled due to a waterlogged course.
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
A huge thank you for the 100 Club t-shirt I received at Eastbourne parkrun recently. I have been looking forward immensely to wearing it. I now can't wait until Saturday to wear it with pride. Since attending my first parkrun in January of 2008 I have run 10k’s, half marathons and marathons. I have also completed a thirty mile run and joined a local running club, which I would never have done otherwise. What I enjoy about parkrun are the new friends I have made and the friendly nature of the runners that attend. There is so much more that I am lost for words to adequately describe parkrun, so I feel that a hurrah is in order…
Hurrah!
Regards,
Adrien Coyne
Hi parkrun UK
I just wanted to say a huge thank you. I haven't been doing parkrun very long and yet no matter how slow I am the volunteers are always there at every corner cheering me on. The people that run are great too and always encouraging me to keep going. I joined parkrun in a bid to lose weight, which I have and a lot, plus not only am I getting fitter but I have met some very lovely people and enjoy coffee with them all afterwards. It's a great way to start your weekend! Thank you all very much.
Regards,
Amy Brook
Hi parkrun UK
On Wednesday I was working from home. It was a cold, wet and windy day with my dog refusing to leave the house. I had intended going for a run but due to the bad weather I stayed indoors where it was warm. On Saturday the weather was arguably worse than Wednesday, yet my motivation was boosted as usual due to parkrun. I wanted to complete my 22nd parkrun and push on to reach 50 (which I hope will be this year). I also always want to beat my PB! So there's plenty to motivate me to get out of the house each week as parkrun provides me with the spur to run with a crowd each week.
Regards,
Stephen Chapman
Hi parkrun UK
I just wanted to thank Ian Higgins our Event Director at Wimbledon parkrun since it started way back in January of 2007 who is now standing down. He has been diligent, encouraging and hard-working. Out of 370 events he has recorded 310 runs and he has done more than that with all his volunteering. He’s an inspiration to many a runner and volunteer. I started taking photographs back in 2008 and given his infectious enthusiasm I have not looked back. Although physically it is impossible for me to run he has helped create a wonderful social atmosphere of runners and volunteers which is enjoyed by everyone. Thank you Ian, and may I say “hello" to Charles Lawrie who steps up as Event Director.
Regards,
Peter Brunnen
Hi parkrun UK
My local parkrun at Harrow Lodge has been cancelled the last two weeks due to very muddy conditions so last Saturday I thought I'd visit my girls in Bournemouth and do the parkrun there. What a friendly bunch of people, very supportive throughout the event, so much so that I beat my PB by over thirty seconds even in very windy conditions! The course is a two lap affair which I am not used to but running on paths and much firmer ground obviously suits me. Thank you Bournemouth parkrun for making my weekend even more special.
Regards,
Paul Lambert
Hi parkrun UK
This is myself (on the right) and my friend Lyndsay Patterson (left) after Peterborough parkrun on Saturday. We both started parkrunning after Christmas. Lyndsay’s local event is Andover parkrun and she has also attended Cardiff parkrun. My local one is Corby and I've also been to Edinburgh parkrun. We enjoy the flexibility of having your barcode so that you can head to any parkrun. I am currently training for Reading Half Marathon, London Marathon and Edinburgh Marathon. The latter two events will be my 6th and 7th full marathons. Lyndsay is training for Reading Half Marathon and Edinburgh Marathon which will be her first full Marathon!
Regards,
Jo Charters
parkrunner of the week
Name: Luca Shaw
Club: Low Fell Running Club
Age: 7
Home parkrun: Gateshead
Occupation: School pupil
Number of runs: 78
Favourite volunteer role: Marshal
What do you do at parkruns: I usually run but I like to volunteer too. I like to be at the finish line holding the finish sign. I sometimes go round after the run with someone to find missing direction arrows if we think we haven't collected them all in. I like to go to the cafe and I like to help sort the finish tokens. When some adults forget their glasses I have to help them with the numbers.
How has parkrun changed your running: I am getting faster and I have joined a running club. I love going there because we play games like ‘Pirates and Sharks’ where we have to try not to get caught. It's great fun. We also do shuttle runs and sprints to help us to get faster. My best time so far has been 24:55.
What do you like about parkrun: I love the course and I like seeing people every week and talking about running. I like to help my family to get faster and I really like to go to the cafe afterwards for a hot chocolate to keep me warm!
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: The funniest parkrun was when someone dressed up as Fred Flintstone and someone else was dressed as a Stormtrooper and there was a photograph and it looked like the Stormtrooper was being chased by Fred Flintstone. I also loved being presented with my 10 Club t-shirt and my 50 Club t-shirt. Everyone clapped so I felt really pleased.
parkrun corner
As the race calendar starts to fill weekends, many of us will forgo our parkrun to focus on a Sunday event whether it be a local 10k, a half marathon, a marathon, duathlon, triathlon etc... Deciding not to run on a Saturday is rarely an easy decision though and I’m sure that the opportunity to enjoy a parkrun is as hard to resist for you as it is for me! Of course, there’s the choice to run slowly as a warmup for what some might call their ‘main event’ of the weekend but many of us fall into the trap of letting the adrenaline and endorphins get the better of us and run parkrun too hard only to suffer on the following race day!
However, parkrunday provides the ideal opportunity to be involved with parkrun whilst not risking overdoing things before your Sunday event. Volunteering is the simple answer. You can even run if you want to but to ensure that you don’t fall into the “oops, I burned myself out at parkrun yesterday and missed out on a PB today” scenario, why not volunteer as a tail runner?
If you’ve already registered for several events through the year, now’s the time to email your local event team’s Volunteer Coordinator and book in as a volunteer the day before each Sunday event to pencil your volunteering stints into your calendar.
Given the recent weather conditions, some events are falling foul of the flooding and other bad weather and being cancelled. If you’re lucky to have a Junior parkrun close by and find your Sunday race cancelled, I’d wholeheartedly recommend going along to one of these amazing events to help out.
While there’s a little space in this corner, I’d like to request that everyone listen to the pre-run briefings at events particularly during periods of bad weather where important safety announcements may need to be made. Thank you.
James Saunders, Southampton Juniors parkrun Event 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
February
Queens parkrun 22nd
Scunthorpe parkrun 22nd
Thetford parkrun 22nd
March
Delamere parkrun 1st
Greenwich parkrun 1st
Swindon parkrun 1st
Wallace parkrun 1st
Worsley Woods parkrun 1st
Brandon Country Park parkrun 8th
Guildford parkrun 8th
Hackworth parkrun 8th
Newent parkrun 8th
Pennington Flash parkrun 8th
Walsall Arboretum parkrun 8th
Concord parkrun 15th
Eglinton parkrun 15th
Kingston parkrun 15th
Mulbarton parkrun 15th
Netley Abbey parkrun 15th
Sedgefield 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.
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