Invite someone to parkrun!

With Christmas and New Year’s fast approaching, it’s a great time to start thinking about who you’ll be parkrunning with during the festive season. Inviting someone new to parkrun could be the perfect gift!

It could be a neighbour, colleague, family member, friend, friend of a friend…

Christmas is traditionally an occasion when people come together to spend time with friends and family. Sadly, we know that too many people will spend the festive period alone this year.

Paul Sinton-Hewitt, the founder of parkrun, highlights that, “parkrun has always been about bringing people together from all walks of life, and at this time of year we all have an opportunity to offer a hand of friendship to someone who might really benefit.”

Christmas doesn’t need to be expensive. parkrun is and always will be free – an easy gift for anyone to hand out.

Did you know that the reason we have special events on Christmas and New Year’s each year is because in 2004, the year parkrun first started, Christmas Day and New Year fell on a Saturday? It has been a tradition ever since to have an extra special parkrun event on Christmas and New Year’s!

Why not send someone you know the link to register for parkrun (if they haven’t already registered), and see where their nearest parkrun is using the event finder? You could even meet them halfway and try out a new parkrun event together!

There are around 170 parkruns taking place on Christmas and New Year’s Day in Australia. We would love to see you at one of them. You can view the list of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day parkruns here.

Wishing you a very happy Christmas and New Year, #loveparkrun.