People of parkrun brought to you by Vhi

Brought to you by our friends at Vhi, in this week’s people of parkrun entry we hear from Alvaro Roy, a Business Consulting Freelancer from Kilkenny parkrun. 

Name: Alvaro Roy

Occupation: Business Consulting Freelancer

Local parkrun: Kilkenny

How did you get involved in parkrun?

I’m Spanish, I used to run in Spain once or twice a week and when I arrived in Ireland, I continued with this routine.

One afternoon, a neighbour saw me running and told me about an event that was held every Saturday at the same time. When I got home, I looked it up online and without hesitation I registered. After I did my first parkrun, I also convinced my wife and two daughters to register, so the four of us started running the following weekend. Since then, I have hardly missed a single Saturday.

What do you love about parkrun?

In a way, parkrun shows the spirit of the Irish people, which I have loved so much during my time there. It is the generosity of people, taking care of others, helping them to have a healthier life. All of this is reflected in the volunteers, whom I admire so much. Getting up early every Saturday morning, just to make it all possible.

 
For us runners it is also a way to share our hobby with our family and friends. It’s motivating and improves or maintains your physical health. It also shows our children a healthy routine and provides a great example of how to start Saturday feeling completely satisfied.

And finally, I can’t forget the extraordinary place where the parkrun takes place in Kilkenny, Kilkenny Castle and the park surrounding it. It makes getting up early on Saturday worth the effort.

Who do you participate with?

I used to go with my wife and daughters, but to tell you the truth my teenage daughters didn’t always get up on time! I mostly run with some other Spanish friends who also like running.

Any parkrun milestones / achievements you would like to share?

Just participating is already an achievement.

 
In my case, I also managed to improve my time, little by little throughout the year. Now it’s not a bad time… for a person my age.

 
However, my biggest achievements were getting into the 25 milestone with a couple of volunteering credits that year as well.

How has parkrun impacted positively on you?

parkrun has given to me extraordinary memories forever, both for the activity, for the environment, and above all for the Irish people. It also has established a routine of doing sports on a regular basis.

Who is your dream parkrun running buddy?

My wife, of course.

What was your best parkrun experience?

The high level of commitment shown by the volunteers is something that I greatly admire. It was amazing to see the extra physical effort put in from parents who ran with their baby buggies.

What advice would you give to someone who’s never been to parkrun?

Take it easy, it is not a competition. It is just a moment to enjoy the environment and enjoy yourself. Join in, keep consistent and little by little you will get better.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Just to thank the work done by Kilkenny volunteers and all the great Irish people we had the opportunity to meet there.