welcome to the newsletter
In this week’s newsletter Alzheimer’s Research UK eulogise Sir Terry Pratchett, Vitality update us on the Run Series, we sum up Jantastic, Elaine Omand gets it, our parkrunner of the week joins the 500 Club and Danny has left the building.
On Saturday we witnessed something that for many years even the most visionary amongst us never really thought possible, someone ran their 500th parkrun. Darren Wood had been first to the 100 Club many years ago - it pre-dates the 10 and 50 Clubs by the way - and then of course the 250 Club and now the 500 Club. For me the real game-changer here is that I feel Darren’s achievement is so amazing in that it’s proved that anything is possible and in time there will be a 1,000 Club etc. etc. Even with the 250 Club I don’t think many of us really opened our eyes to that level of achievement becoming the norm? Today there are 219 people in the 250 club, 7,357 people in the 100 Club, 22,235 people in the 50 Club and an amazing 24,337 kids in the 10 Club. You can see all the Club members (for the whole World) via this link and it’s worth noting that people are only ever in one Club so many more will have passed through the earlier clubs on their way to where they are now. Despite Darren’s clear dedication to the cause and massive lead in the runningest runner stakes he has by the way missed something like 80 opportunities to run a parkrun since he first stood on one of our start lines back at Bushy parkrun #2 on the 9th of October 2004.
Amazingly, it will be over a year before the second person joins the 500 Club as next most runningest parkrunner (should the term be most parkrunningest person?), John Hanscomb, is on a paltry (that’s a joke by the way) 440 runs. And the most parkrunningest ladies, Ramona Thevenet and Kirsty Bangham, are on 388 and 387 respectively, so it will be over two years before we have our first female inductee into the 500 Club. Once the floodgates open there will be no stopping us though, and looking at some of the youngsters clearly inspired by Darren’s achievements I wonder who the first junior 500 Club member will be? Won’t that be amazing?
Finally, I’d like to wish my great friend (and 417 time parkrunner Danny Norman) all the best for the future. For the last few years Danny has been a full-time member of the parkrun HQ staff team, overseeing our social media and communications, and a more passionate parkrunner you could not meet. He grew the parkrun show podcast into one of the most brilliantly engaging parkrun communities out there, lived parkrun 24/7/365 and was our ear to the ground constantly keeping us up to speed with the amazing diversity of our amazing organisation.
Danny - your parkrun passion, honesty, integrity, vision, and most importantly, friendship, have been a true inspiration to us all. Thank you.
Happy running,
Tom
P.S. You can read about how one of the parkrun pioneers has come full circle in this week’s junior parkrun newsletter here.
support Sir Terry’s legacy
Earlier this month, Alzheimer’s Research UK lost its patron and celebrated fantasy author Sir Terry Pratchett to Alzheimer’s disease.
Sir Terry was just 66 when he died at home surrounded by his family, with his cat sleeping on his bed, on the 12th of March. The loss of this great man has had – and will continue to have – a profound effect on both literature and the 850,000 people who are living with dementia across the UK today.
Sir Terry’s uniquely witty and affecting announcement of his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s at our 2008 conference will be seen as a watershed moment for all people living with dementia. It engendered huge public awareness of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and issued a rallying call to arms for society to talk about the disease and take steps towards defeating it.
Sir Terry’s legacy to dementia research is huge, both financially and as an enormous motivation to our supporters and scientists. When he announced the inaugural Terry Pratchett research fellowship in 2010, he insisted on a single word to be engraved on the trophy: “strive”. Our scientists continue to act upon this powerful call, and push forwards with the research that will defeat the condition that took Sir Terry from us.
Earlier this year we launched a network of Drug Discovery Institutes dedicated to bringing treatments sooner. Without question, Sir Terry’s support of Alzheimer’s Research UK has played a crucial role in making this giant leap in drug development happen. He was a remarkable man and will be sorely missed.
Like Sir Terry, each one of you has the ability to help power the research that will provide answers to dementia. Visit www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/parkrun today to join #TeamARUKparkrun and help defeat dementia.
Miranda Johnson
Head of Corporate & Community Partnerships
Alzheimer’s Research UK
P.S. We still have a number of charity places up for grabs for Run Hackney - one of the top 10 half marathons in the country – on the 10th of May. To register, click here.
faces of Vitality Run Series
The Vitality Liverpool Half Marathon saw Paul’s training culminate in the big race day event! He finished in a fantastic time, and was one of the first 50 to dash across the line. Congratulations Paul!
‘The last 4 miles were along the promenade seafront with the race finishing close to the iconic Royal Liver Building. I came 49th in the race which I was delighted about’.
Lawrence was unfortunately struck down with a chest infection, robbing him of the opportunity to take part in the race. Although initially disappointed, he realised that...
‘there are other races, and with the base training that I have completed, I can set myself new goals and targets. You have to sometimes focus on the journey rather than the destination to realise the benefits of what has been achieved.’
Lawrence says of his experience of writing the blog something important that we should all keep in mind each time we lace up our trainers and go running:
‘It reminded me that I was one of a community of runners and that I was not alone’.
Read his reflections on being a Face of Vitality here.
jantastic 2015 is complete
The 2015 Jantastic challenge started way back on Monday the 5th of January. For the last twelve weeks thousands of runners, cyclists and swimmers of all abilities and aspirations have been busy hitting their weekly physical activity, exercise and health targets. Participants included parkrunners from over 100 different parkrun events.
Jantastic came to an end last weekend and saw over 420,000 workouts completed. Two parkrun teams topped the overall Jantastic team podium with 100%! Conkers parkrun ‘boys’ team and Conkers parkrun ‘girls’ team had quite a battle for the top spot during the twelve weeks and for both teams to finish on 100% is quite incredible. Huge congratulations to the 100 parkrunners who made up these two teams and completed 4,466 workouts between them. Well done to Chichester parkrun for also finishing in the top ten out of almost 700 Jantastic teams overall.
Thank you and a big well done to every parkrunner everywhere who took part in Jantastic 2015 and good luck with the rest of your parkrun year.
parkrun population
Here are this week’s summary statistics for parkrun UK (including junior parkrun)
Number of runners - 58,283
Number of volunteers - 5,675
Number of first timers - 7,939
Number of PBs - 9,982
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 Saturday the 21st of March I headed off to spend my birthday the best way you could on a Saturday – with friends and cake at Eastleigh parkrun, oh and running 5k too. Things unfolded slightly differently to plan though. As we were packing up the event one of our dedicated volunteers, Ron Trodd, unfortunately had a cardiac arrest. The response of the remaining parkrunners was phenomenal as they swung into action and I truly have never been prouder of them. The response from Fleming Park Leisure Centre and the emergency services was also brilliant. We're delighted to be able to report that Ron is making a tremendous recovery, thanks in large part to the prompt and skilled efforts of the parkrunners that assisted him that morning, and those that directed ambulances, opened gates and ran for help. Ron is a big part of the local running community. Although he no longer runs he is at the event every week ringing the bell for our third and last lap. I cannot express enough how amazing all the team were on that day, and how amazing they continued to be, supporting each other through the unusual situation. I thank each and every parkrunner and volunteer for making Eastleigh the event that it is, it is something quite incredible (in my slightly biassed view!). We look forward to having Ron back amongst us, ringing the bell as he should be.
Regards,
Louise Drayton, Event Director, Eastleigh parkrun
Hi parkrun UK
I was overjoyed to find out that I had been awarded the Sweatshop Monthly Prize by Crystal Palace parkrun. It made me feel that I was actually achieving something and making progress with my running. Life as we know can be busy and trying to fit in training sessions is difficult. I completed my 50th parkrun seven weeks ago and am now heading towards my 100th. Sweatshop in Trump Street, London, gave me an excellent service, spending a long time with me and suggesting different trainers to suit my running. Thank you parkrun, Sweatshop and Crystal Palace parkrun for doing such a good job every week.
Regards,
Louise Dickson
Hi parkrun UK
On the 21st of March numbers at Buckingham were boosted by friends and colleagues of Anita West. Anita has been running regularly for the last 10 years since her first brush with breast cancer in 2005. She has both run and volunteered at Buckingham. Sadly the cancer came back recently and has been very aggressive so in recognition of her fight family, friends and colleagues came together to run 5k at 9am on Saturday morning in the UK as well as at exactly the same time in Japan, America (New York and Portland) Germany, Austria, France and New Zealand. Anita's husband Peter, son Tom and daughter Emily all ran while Anita and friends offered support from a convenient car park along the route.
Regards,
Bridget Mold
Hi parkrun UK
I did the inaugural Maidenhead parkrun as support for Adam, the Event Director. As we were getting ready to leave, a gentleman jumped out of his van saying "Excuse me but the position token has to be given back!" He had seen the parkrun barcode tag I keep on my race belt and so I explained them to him. I thought it was great that he was so concerned and came home smiling about it and wanted to share the tale.
Regards,
Teresa Munday
Hi parkrun UK
Next Saturday is my daughter Eleanor’s 20th birthday. It will also be her 50th parkrun, all done at Roundhay, Leeds. We are both looking forward to celebrating both milestones. Eleanor started running a couple of years ago and parkrun has been brilliant for building her confidence and helping her realise that she could not only run but that she could get better by turning up regularly. It’s helped her build up to 10k’s, 10 mile and half marathon races, as well as losing the weight she wanted to. Hopefully Eleanor enjoys her 50th run and even the three times up ‘that hill’!
Regards,
Iain and Eleanor Currie
Hi parkrun UK
I ran my first parkrun at Croxteth Hall parkrun in Liverpool last weekend. It was fantastic and the volunteers were brilliant.
Regards,
Paul Kelly
Hi parkrun UK
There was a husband and wife double celebration parkrun on the 28th of March at Poole parkrun. My 100th parkrun coincided with my wife Carole's 50th parkrun. We got to wear the coveted hats for our run together, and had a great time with loads of support from runners and volunteers. It's always a great atmosphere at Poole, and this run was even more special. Here's to the next milestone runs!
Regards,
Steve Davis
parkrunner of the week
Name: Darren Wood
Club: Hart Road Runners
Age: 32
Home parkrun: Frimley Lodge parkrun
Occupation: Payments Consultant
Number of runs: 500
Favourite volunteer role: Barcode Scanning
What do you do at parkruns: Some may say I run a lot which is true, but I also volunteer. I help out with both pre-event setup and close down by running the course and laying out the ‘Caution Runner’ signs. I then help to collect these at the end and cheer on any tail runners. I have also done a number of other volunteer roles in the past. I really feel that you get to know a lot more people at parkrun through volunteering.
How has parkrun changed your running: parkrun has enabled me to enjoy running a lot more and has help me build confidence with my running over the years.
What do you like about parkrun: I love the fact that parkrun is for everyone. It helps bring local communities together. From beginners to the elite, everyone is welcome. What is there not to like about running with your friends?
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: After this weekend, I think running my 500th parkrun has to be the most memorable moment. The response from everyone has left me lost for words. Thank you everyone for all the kind comments. Also a funny moment was getting a call from my wife Becky in January 2015 to tell me that her waters had broken when I was on the first lap of Frimley Lodge parkrun. What did I do? I carried on and finished of course! Luckily I didn't miss the birth of Joshua. Completing parkrun on crutches has to be one of the toughest.
parkrun corner
For some people who don't quite 'get it', the concept that parkrun is a run, not a race, is just confusing. It always ruffles my feathers slightly when I see people referring to it as a race, and talking about the 'winners'. For me, this is one of the big appeals, as it means we take part in the event for our own reasons. We support each other as we run, and help each other round. We can turn up and push ourselves for a PB, or we can do it as a gentle recovery run. Many people run with children, introducing them to the hobby that we love, and do it at their pace.
parkrun is accessible for everyone, whether walking, jogging, or running, and this means there is no pressure on you to be super fast. If you come first, 10th or are the final finisher, you have still achieved the same as everyone else, and should be just as proud of yourself as anyone else standing around the finish line.
I often use parkrun as part of my long runs, finishing with a group of enthusiastic runners to pull me round the last 5k. If I have a race the next day, I will do a gentle run, and enjoy a catch up with other runners on the way round. I recently started with one of my running club friends, only to find out as we approached 'the hill' in the course, that he was using this as a hill training session, and found myself sprinting up the hill – not quite the gentle social I'd expected!
However you choose to run your parkrun, it’s your run - enjoy it.
Elaine Omand, Camperdown 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!
children at parkrun
We welcome children at parkrun. Please note that those under the age of 11 must be within arm's reach of a parent, guardian or designated adult of the parents' choice whilst attending 5k parkrun events.Children aged 4 to 14 can run unaccompanied at our junior parkrun events.
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 2014 alone over 50,000 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.
cancellations
For cancellations please check your event’s news page for the most up to date information.
upcoming anniversaries
April
Basildon parkrun 4th
Beeston parkrun 4th
Bushy junior parkrun 4th
Colchester Castle parkrun 4th
Forest Rec parkrun 4th
Huddersfield parkrun 4th
Hull parkrun 4th
Keswick parkrun 4th
Parke parkrun 4th
Poole parkrun 4th
Porthcawl parkrun 4th
Woodley junior parkrun 5th
Chippenham parkrun 11th
Dulwich parkrun 11th
Enniskillen parkrun 11th
Graves parkrun 11th
Huntingdon parkrun 11th
Maidstone parkrun 11th
Peter Pan parkrun 11th
Pymmes parkrun 11th
Strathclyde parkrun 11th
Barking and Dagenham junior parkrun 12th
Bradford parkrun 18th
Bramhall Park parkrun 18th
Conkers parkrun 18th
Preston Park parkrun 18th
Rotherham parkrun 18th
South Shields parkrun 18th
St Andrews parkrun 18th
Helix junior parkrun 19th
Ashton Court parkrun 25th
Darley parkrun 25th
Forest of Dean parkrun 25th
Gorleston parkrun 25th
Hartlepool parkrun 25th
Killerton parkrun 25th
Leamington parkrun 25th
Margate parkrun 25th
Redcar parkrun 25th
Roundhay parkrun 25th
Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun 25th
Winchester parkrun 25th
official charity partner
our sponsors
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.
Vitality is insurance that rewards you for being healthy. It's there to protect you when things go wrong unexpectedly but it's also there to help you lead a healthier life - meaning you don't have to claim to be able to benefit. If you keep well, then you're less likely to claim. That means it costs us less to look after you. We think that if we're saving money, you should benefit from that. So as you get healthier, we offer you discounts to encourage you to be healthy, rewards to keep you motivated and to help you rest and relax, and cashback so you've got more money to spend on doing things you love. Find out more about Vitality
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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
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.
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