One parkrun at a time

Nick was diagnosed with depression in his twenties. He took antidepressants with alcohol, leading to a dependency which he was not able or prepared to acknowledge. It was in 2015 that he finally addressed the issue.

I attended residential rehab which was a huge help. It was then in August 2015 that I discovered parkrun. I first went to Marlay parkrun and struggled to finish. My goal was to complete the course without stopping.

This new parkrun routine was an important element to my recovery regime. Those few hours preparing for parkrun and completing the event were vital hours when I was not thinking about or drinking alcohol. I liked that I could be fairly anonymous due to the large attendance at this venue. As my confidence grew, I began attending the smaller neighbouring parkrun at Bushy Park and began integrating with the core team there.

My favourite role is pre-event set up and I am now a familiar face to all in this community and I have made friends for life through parkrun.

I have also made use of opportunities for parkrun tourism throughout Ireland. I set up my own business in Dublin where I provide ‘street art’ running tours, guiding visitors around the city via its many interesting and provoking murals. I am now at seven years of sobriety and the joy of parkrun has played a massive part in that. My next goal is to complete 250 parkruns and 50 volunteer stints. One parkrun at a time.

Nick Alexander

#loveparkrun