welcome to the newsletter
In this week’s newsletter Fitbit’s Lea runs her first parkrun, Alzheimer's Research UK report on the Donate Your Time campaign, Sweatshop offer a discount, and the event director of Brueton parkrun shares his memories of a very special participant.
parkrunday for Charles Morley would always begin a little earlier than for most of us. He was up at 4:30am for breakfast, and then he'd walk to Wylde Green station for the train to Birmingham New Street. From there he would stroll across the city centre to Moor Street Station to catch a train to Solihull, and walk through the town to Brueton Park. Then it was a quick change and a warm-up lap before the run, some cake, and the return journey.
What’s more, Charles was doing this in his eighties. Until last week.
I must admit I was slightly in awe of Charles when I first met him. You don’t expect to see many people in their eighties running around your local park, particularly not in a timed 5k run. He was an incredible inspiration to many of our runners and he proved that age is no barrier to taking part in regular exercise.
He genuinely enjoyed being lapped by the youngest runners, and was always proud that each time we broke our attendance record he would be the person receiving the milestone token as our final finisher. On one particular run in heavy snow we asked Charles if he wanted to stop, but his reply was that he came from five generations of soldiers and wouldn’t give up. And he didn’t.
His achievements stretched beyond running too. Charles set six British rowing records in the 80-89 age group, and he holds the world record in that category for the longest distance rowed in 24 hours. He covered a staggering 93 miles at the age of 82.
Charles would always say that Saturday was the most important day of the week because parkrun was where his friends were, and it was those friends who came together at the weekend to celebrate his life.
We often hear the phrase ‘the parkrun family’, and the sound of silence that echoed across Brueton Park on Saturday showed just how strong that family is. There was no glancing at watches and no impatient shuffling during the pre-run briefing, just 375 runners and volunteers paying a fitting tribute. That was until I broke down in tears for the third time, at which point a thunderous round of applause erupted. We started and finished the run by the brick shelter where Charles would get changed each Saturday, which will forever be known as Charlie’s Shelter.
Charles will always be part of the history of Brueton parkun. His determination, his modesty and his sense of humour endeared him to many, and it seemed that everyone knew who he was. We were all so grateful that he chose our parkrun as his home run, where he completed 176 runs and volunteered 28 times, in addition to five runs at Coventry parkrun.
I may be known locally as ‘Mr parkrun’ to people who see me in the shops, but Charles Morley will always be Mr parkrun to me.
Andy Lucas, Brueton parkrun event director
Charles Morley - A73710 - 1931-2015
Lea’s first parkrun
You might think that going to your first parkrun may be the same as attending a party before your friends arrive – you’ll be welcomed by happy faces but eventually end up eating guacamole in the kitchen alone.
But you needn’t worry, because parkrun is just as welcoming to newbies as it is to weekly regulars! The community vibe and enthusiastic volunteers ensure that the event is as enjoyable as possible. Lea from Fitbit tried her first parkrun and shared her experience with us so that you know what to expect.
Lea always enjoyed running, but her focus had slipped of late. To refocus her determination, she signed up for parkrun. Thanks to its popularity, Lea found a run just 20 minutes away from home. After her initial nervousness, she brought along a few other friends who were fans of running, to take their workout away from the treadmill. So how did she get on?
“Everyone was really helpful and welcoming, it was really fantastic to see how encouraging and supportive everyone was. I even unexpectedly ran into some friends who were also running for the first time, which was a nice surprise!”
You can use your Fitbit to not only track your time and progress, but also your excitement as you complete your first parkrun. Lea used the Charge HR to monitor her heart rate to see how she responded:
“I had quite low expectations for my run time and didn’t really think much about it. I was pleasantly surprised with my results, clocking 27:53 - not bad for a first timer! Afterwards, it was great to be able to have a detailed recap on my Fitbit app and see my average pace, heartbeat and time as well.”
So apart from an unexpected yet impressive time, how did Lea find her first parkrun experience?
“Overall it was a great way to start a Saturday morning - a good run with friends and fellow parkrunners, topped off with a well-deserved breakfast. This may have been my first run but it won’t be my last. I’ll definitely be back to beat my personal best!” - read the full story here.
Like Lea are you thinking about trying your first parkrun? Share your stories with us on Twitter or Facebook - we’d love to hear from you! If you don’t have a Fitbit yet to track your progress, don’t forget that parkrunners get an exclusive £15 off any device.
hundreds back Donate Your Time
Hundreds of parkrunners have joined the fightback against dementia by turning their run times into donations to Alzheimer’s Research UK. The Alzheimer’s Research UK team were out in force on Saturday, attending more than 100 parkrun locations across the UK to launch Donate Your Time.
The campaign invites parkrunners nationwide to convert their finish time – or whatever they can – into a one-off donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK, parkrun’s official charity partner.
In the first weekend alone, over 500 parkrunners from 160+ parkrun locations supported the campaign, helping to raise more than £17,000 towards pioneering dementia research – a fantastic start, which we are really grateful for.
Now we need more of the powerful parkrun community to get behind the campaign to smash our £100,000 target to make a massive impact. There’s still plenty of time for people to make a difference, with the campaign running until the end of the month.
Lots of you have been sharing the reasons why you’ve backed the campaign on the Donate Your Time website. One runner from Harrogate’s father was recently diagnosed with dementia and donated her time to help find a cure. A St Albans parkrunner recorded a PB while running and donated in honour of his brother, who is living with dementia.
With your help, research can defeat dementia and by donating your time to Alzheimer’s Research UK, you’re playing a key role in the fightback.
If you’re not running but want to support, the crucial parkrun volunteers can also make a donation by visiting the Donate Your Time website.
The whole campaign was beautifully summed up by Marc Thurgood from Beeston parkrun, who wrote: “Compassionate community action – the world needs more.”
For more information on Donate Your Time, visit www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/donateyourtime.
Thank you to everyone who has helped make this campaign such a success so far.
Ian Wilson
Director of Fundraising
Alzheimer’s Research UK
P.S. If you’ve not yet seen it, click here to watch our Donate Your Time video to find out more about the campaign.
enjoy 10% off at Sweatshop
Get kitted out at Sweatshop this week with 10% off in-store or online, exclusive to parkrunners.
At Sweatshop we believe that every runner, regardless of ability, should have access to the very best equipment. That’s why we stock the largest range of technical running shoes in the UK with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee on any full price shoe. Anyone who visits our stores can undergo a free gait analysis and every full-time member of Sweatshop staff attends three stages of biomechanical training to ensure you find the perfect pair of running shoes.
Visit sweatshop.co.uk/parkrun10 for your 10% off barcode to use in store or use PARKRUN10 to redeem online.
Happy running!
parkrun help
Have you spotted the help button on our website? You can leave us a message and/or ask a question or enter a key word to reveal some of our most frequently asked questions.
parkrun population
Here are this week’s summary statistics for parkrun UK (including junior parkrun)
Number of runners - 77,152
Number of volunteers - 7,564
Number of first timers - 10,254
Number of PBs - 16,585
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
I started at Banstead parkrun in January 2008 and haven't missed many runs since. I love that parkrun is a competitive run if you want it to be, a paced training session or just a run with friends. And you never have to book! When I became unwell and was admitted to hospital for surgery I was thinking I may get one or two messages from Banstead parkrun because it has such a great community spirit, but I have been totally overwhelmed by people's kindness with so many runners sending me good wishes. One card was signed by more than 120 people. I am sorry to single out anyone, but Chris Phelan the event director has been fantastic, and to receive an email from Paul Sinton-Hewitt wishing me well was just - wow!
Alan Collis
It took me over a year to pluck up the courage to go along to my local parkrun in Portrush. I’d imagined it to be a bunch of elite runners taking it all very seriously and that thought really put me off. However, on the 7th of February 2015 I faced my fear and found that I was so wrong. I absolutely loved it. parkrun has given me so much – a wonderful new circle of friends, focus to my weekly running schedule, a new challenge each week, but most importantly I enjoy my running now more than ever and I'm hoping to complete a half marathon and maybe even a full marathon in 2016 - something I never thought I would do. Thank you so much parkrun!
Pam Howe
I have been running at Bury St Edmunds parkrun for a few months. I volunteered for the second time on Saturday and wanted to say that not only is it an important part of keeping parkruns going, but it is thoroughly enjoyable too! Seeing the effort that runners put into their parkruns is very impressive and it’s great to support them. If you haven't volunteered I would highly recommend it. If you love your parkrun then give it a go – you won't regret it.
David Swales
On Saturday the 10th of October, 10 Banstead Woodians with nearly 1,500 parkruns between them attended the Bere Island parkrun in West Cork where the whole community have embraced the parkrun spirit. What a fabulous place to have a parkrun! Our thanks to John (congrats on your 50th run) and his team of volunteers who made our run so memorable, even before we'd eaten the homemade scones, blackberry jam and lemon drizzle cake. For anyone who visits Ireland, try to find time to pop by and take part. You will be made very welcome.
David Morris
My sister came to visit me in Cornwall last December and she arrived with trainers and insisted on going to parkrun. Having not heard about it and having loved running many, many years previously I was dragged along. To say I struggled is an understatement. I jogged, walked and heavy-breathed my way around the 5k that day but the following week, without my sister, I attended again. Last Sunday I completed the Cardiff Half Marathon and completed the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 23 minutes raising £400 for WWF. Within just 10 months of finding parkrun it has changed my life from not running for many years to running my first ever half marathon. Thank you.
Mandi Brooks
parkrunner of the week
Name: Claire Dunkley
Club: Unattached
Age: 36
Home parkrun: Colwick
Occupation: Insurance Executive
Number of runs: 3
Favourite volunteer role: Barcode scanning
What do you do at parkruns: I love to volunteer and help out but now I've run a few I think I'm hooked. I'll have to find the right balance.
How has parkrun changed your running: I started running in June and reached the 5k distance (without stopping or walking) and was keen to celebrate this fact. Racing isn't for me, I'd find it intimidating and I don’t think I'll ever be quick but what a great alternative parkrun is! I can run at my own pace, I don't need to worry about being left behind or coming last (thanks to the tail runners) and there are plenty of people around to run with and they encourage each other through the course.
What do you like about parkrun: The friendly welcome, the kind people, the encouraging runners, the dedicated coordinators, the valuable volunteers – pretty much everything!
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: I was curious to find out what parkrun was all about so I contacted the volunteer coordinator by email first and they invited me to go along and check it out. I volunteered for four weeks first; on the clipboard and barcode scanning, and finally as a tail runner so I could learn the course. I'll never forget the warm welcome I received, I immediately felt part of a team and was kindly encouraged with my running. I realised everyone had started somewhere and a lot of people had really useful tips for me. The week I ran my first parkrun and rang the PB bell was fantastic, I was elated and will never forget that moment!
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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.
You can read the latest junior parkrun newsletter here.
volunteering at parkrun
Every parkrun event relies on volunteers and in 2014 alone over 50,000 of you came forward 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.
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.
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
Changing health and life insurance for good.
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
For information on the company powering the mobile messaging, please visit aql.com
Connecting parkrunners everywhere
For information on the mobile communications company, please visit three.co.uk
Eat well, move more, live longer
For more information on Change4Life please visit nhs.uk/change4life
The world’s leading achievement award for young people
For more information on The Duke of Edinburgh's Award please visit dofe.org