All around the world, we’ve seen over 28,000 unique volunteers in the parkwalker role and they’ve parkwalked over 52,000 times! We speak to one of the parkwalkers, Cathy Hannon, about why she chooses to volunteer in her favourite role every Saturday morning. Cathy’s chronic condition means that parkwalking is the best option for her, she relishes the…
This week we’re looking back on 10 years of the parkrun Ambassador Programme. Ambassador roles enable more people to get involved with parkrun, share their knowledge, and support their communities health and happiness. Find out how it all started, what the Ambassadors do and what we have achieved together. Firstly, what…
Matthew Akpan’s superpower, Asperger’s Syndrome, has seen him become an esteemed parkrunner and complete some brilliant challenges for charity in memory of his father. I’ve been running since the age of 13 years old, when I started at my running club in 2002. Since my first parkrun in 2008, I’ve completed over 330 parkruns at…
Izzy has anxiety and often finds going out and about on her own scary and difficult. She has been a parkrunner since 2014 and finds her local parkrun community offers her a safe space where she feels comfortable and not judged. My first parkrun was in 2014. My mum had been a few times and…
Have you ever wondered what a parkrun looks like over in Japan? You’re in the right place! We recently talked to Ikeya Kenjiro, the event director at Kashiwanoha parkrun about how it changed his Saturday mornings, and why he loves volunteering at parkrun. I first heard about parkrun in April 2019 when a flyer was delivered…
Broken Hill Racecourse parkrun in outback Australia is more than 300 kilometres from its closest parkrun. Maria Kelly, who has volunteered as a course marshal 58 times, explains why spending her Saturday mornings cheering parkrunners through the desert, while being surrounded by native wildlife is a highlight of her week. I’m a 54-year-old woman…
695,890 people across the world know how wonderful it can be to volunteer at parkrun. Getting some fresh air and vitamin D, meeting new people, being with family and friends, getting active, problem solving, team building, and gaining life skills are just a few examples of why volunteering comes with incredible physical and mental health benefits….
On Saturday 2 October 2004, 13 runners and five volunteers turned up to Bushy Park in Teddington, London, for a free, timed, 5k run, known then as the Bushy Park Time Trial. Little did they know what they had started. Paul and Joanne Sinton-Hewitt, Duncan Gaskell, Simon Hedger and Robin Drummond made up the…
For Esther Stanier, volunteering at parkrun gave her back a sense of purpose, routine and a way to feel “useful”. Here she explains why, and recommends everyone gives it a go! I am so proud to be part of the parkrun community, both as a parkrunner and a volunteer. My first parkrun was in…
