What is parkrun?

Put simply, parkrun is a free, weekly, timed, marshaled, 5km run, every Saturday, typically in a park location.

parkrun is also a bit more than this.....
parkrun is not just one run it is hundreds of runs (currently 184) which all take place at the same time, in the same location, every Saturday morning across the UK and now spreading around the world. Its a weekly global gathering of parkrunners.

parkrun is also the name of the not-for-profit organisation that oversees all of parkrun and which helps local communities through the process of setting up their own parkrun event.

parkrun is well on its way to being a global running phenomenon.

parkrun can be whatever you want it to be.
- parkrun can be fun
- parkrun can be a training run
- parkrun can be run fast, slow or even walked
- parkrun can even be a race

parkrun is certainly a weekly community event, a great place to socialise and meet like-minded friends.

You may have some more questions.....

So, is parkrun really free? Yes, it really is.
How can parkrun be free? It's free because it has limited overheads. The initial start-up costs for each event are covered partly by the parkrun organisation, through its various sponsorship deals, and also by local communities, local sponsorship and city and town councils. So the runners do not have to pay anything to run. The weekly running of each event is all covered by volunteers, with the runners taking turns to marshal and run the event, so again there is no weekly cost there.

So there you have it. parkrun is many things, but most of all it is a free, weekly, timed, marshaled, 5km run and a local community event.

Alice Holt inaugural parkrun

About six months ago I answered a request for people to help set up a new parkrun.  It was all very exciting, planning new routes, meeting new people, setting up new Facebook pages and so on.  Sadly, due to work and home commitments, I couldn't play as active a part in the event team as I would have liked, but I still kept up to date with what was going on (as I have admin rights on the Facebook page!) and was thrilled to hear that the event was starting today.  

I'd run a couple of the proposed routes with Martin Bushell (event director) and other members of the team back in June, but I hadn't even looked to see where the official route would take us.  Alice Holt is far from flat, so I knew we would be in for an interesting run.  

This is now my nearest parkrun, being about 4 miles up the road from me, this meant that I could have a little bit of a lie in this morning, getting up at ten past seven rather than seven o'clock!  I chivied the two younger boys into their shorts and trainers, drank a quick cup of tea, transferred my Alice Holt parking ticket from one car to another, checked I had all the barcodes and bundled the children into the car.  Finding a parking place at 8.30am is not going to be a problem at this venue - there are vast pay and display car parks.  Canny locals tell me that there are free car parks a short walk away, but I'm far too lazy for that!

It was lovely to see so many friendly faces at the start.  There were regulars there from Basingstoke and Frimley Lodge parkruns, Chineham Park Running Club had a huge presence on the day, and I spotted several people from the online running community that is Fetcheveryone.  parkrun royalty was represented by Paul Sinton-Hewitt (it is his fault we are all up early running round parks in the first place) and Danny Norman (of 'The parkrun show' fame).   Event director Martin welcomed us all to the forest and did the first of many very successful pre-run briefings.  If he was nervous it didn't show!  

And then we were off!  The start is nice and wide, with a gentle downhill slope for the first couple of hundred metres.  'Not so fast Freddy' and I fell into step (for a little while) beside a lady with a 50 club t shirt on and we ran and chatted for a while.  We talked about various things running related, and she mentioned that she runs round marathons counting them out in parkruns.  'That's odd,' I said, 'There was a lady on the parkrun show the week before last who said the same thing!'  'That's because that lady was me!' said Louise Ayling! 

The two lap course is lovely, very up and down, but the hills are quite short so you don't notice them too much!  It is a beautiful place to run and I reckon the changing seasons will provide plenty of wonderful scenery.    

It was wet and quite slippery today, Freddy went flying at one point fairly early on, covering his 10 club t-shirt in thick mud.  Strangely (!) he was quite grumpy about the whole thing after that and I really had to cajole/bully/threaten/bribe him round.  On the plus side this did give me time to chat with the wonderful marshals and to take photos!  Another advantage is that if I run it on my own I will easily get a PB!  My other son had run on ahead of us.  

We were only lapped by one person, I do hate being lapped, but was gracious and cheered Danny on!  Danny in turn encouraged Freddy as he passed us (again) on his warm down lap!  I don't think this will ever be a very fast 5k course, even in dry conditions as it is quite undulating with a lot of uneven ground (which was quite 'challenging' for my dodgy foot), but is it a fun course with lots of twists and turns.

Coffee afterwards at The Cafe on The Green was very welcome on a chilly morning.  Lots of chance to socialise, eat cake, discuss the route, eat cake, talk about other parkruns and eat cake.  Actually, the boys both had the 'woodsman breakfast' which was good value at £4.95 each and looked delicious.  The coffee was good too!  

My middle child is planning to do his ESB exam talk about parkrun this year, and was keen to get pictures of all four club T-shirts (and their wearers!) in one place.  Danny (250), Nicola (100),Freddy (10) and an as yet unknown member of the 100 club obliged.  I am very grateful, as is he! 

So, will I change my home parkrun?  Probably not, but I will try to run my local parkrun on a regular basis.  I have one son who loved Alice Holt and one who swears he will never run it again (that'll be because he fell over!) but will happily volunteer!  So to keep everyone, including me (I like a shopping fix after my B'stoke parkrun as well as a gossip with my B'stoke parkrun family) it looks as though we will be visiting Alice Holt occasionally.    If any of my running buddies wants to visit Alice Holt parkrun I am more than happy to meet you there!  

An Ode to Bramhall parkrun, by Richard Hall

A delightful promise of a perfect setting?
Of course many descend from miles around
Woods and hills and grand architecture?
Or is there something else which can be found?

Always a steep start gets the pulse racing
Soon a magnificent Tudor House facing
But is anyone able to admire the view
Only a very fit and chosen few

A field where the Tudors practised their bow
Those taking it easy set off and go
Don’t cut that corner you’ve made unsightly mud
Rob would fire an arrow if he could

The Lake is an art for the leaders
Scatter the geese and sometimes their feeders
Gathering up the mess on their shoes
This is where those bringing up the rear don’t lose

You love it or hate it, marmite?
No the woods, up and down, and the fight
Win the left track or you haven’t got the knack
Enjoy being too far to hear Nick on the mike

Slow down it’s slippy on the bridge
In summer, a bite from the odd midge
A half way shout is a luxury for parkrun
But only if your time is under twenty one

It’s not the trees or well laid paths that count
It’s not even the heron or the jumping trout
It’s the people with a focus and a weekend belonging
Its a good enough subject to compose a song in