Saturday saw the long-awaited return of parkrun New Zealand, the first parkrun events back after an extended global lockdown, and a return, in that part of the world at least, to pre-Coronavirus routines. Since the earliest days of this challenge we had prioritised the work required to ensure a smooth return to action when the…
With just a few days left until the reopening of parkrun New Zealand it feels like we really are making excellent progress and, after fifteen Saturdays without a single parkrun anywhere in the world, this weekend we can all celebrate a great step forward. Everyone has worked hard and waited patiently, and we can all be…
Over the last few months we’ve attempted to keep things as simple as possible, to focus on the critical tasks required, and to provide clarity around our decisions. This week we’d like to take the opportunity to revisit part of our strategy for reopening parkrun. As countries relax their respective lockdown restrictions we…
When, in March this year, we closed all our events, the symbolism of that impacted everyone in one way or another. Whilst we knew it was coming, that first Saturday without a single parkrun event anywhere in the world was a moment that most of us could never have imagined would ever happen. Within…
On Monday, the New Zealand Government announced that they were removing all social distancing requirements and that there would be no limits on public gatherings. This is an incredibly positive step forward, and whilst New Zealand may seem a long way ahead of the challenges many of us continue to face, this news should…
In last week’s update we confirmed that all parkrun events across the world will remain closed until at least this calendar month. In some parkrun countries that message was entirely expected, as they are still relatively early in their efforts to overcome the challenge presented to them by COVID-19. However, some other parkrun countries are experiencing significant…
We can now confirm that parkrun events across the world will be suspended until the end of June. Please note that this represents a minimum time-frame for all parkrun countries and we expect most, if not all, closures to be in place for longer. Despite this announcement of extended closure, our view of…
I’m pleased to say we have now spoken with just under 1,000 event teams and ambassadors from all 22 parkrun countries, and that project has now formally concluded. As always however, should event teams and volunteers wish to speak with us that opportunity remains available and I’d urge them to get in touch if that…
It is now eight weeks since we first closed all parkrun events across the world, and we know that parkrunners everywhere, alongside their local communities, are facing their own unique challenges, and would love to enjoy parkrun again. Please know that we are thinking of you all right now and remain fully committed that…
Thanks again to all the event teams and ambassadors who have generously given us their time over the last few weeks, and shared the challenges they are facing at local level around the world. We have now spoken directly to over 700 of those volunteers and continue to gain valuable insight. Based on…
