Uppermill junior parkrun takes place in Saddleworth near Oldham.
Run Director Jim Upton tell us more about the event they call home every Sunday morning…
I am a dedicated runner and now I have retired from teaching I have the time, and energy, to pass on my love of running.
Saddleworth is a great community and the children really enjoy their sport.It is very rewarding to see them enjoy their running.
The volunteers are a fantastic bunch and it is so good to see them being so encouraging and positive.
Our course is a straight out-and-back course along a bridleway. It is flat, with a small hill just before the halfway turnaround point.
We have no famous landmarks, but the course was a railway line until 1966. It is the flattest and simplest course in the area. However the quality and quantity of treats in the many nearby cafes is awesome!
We are a very new event, but we already have a great team of volunteers, and lots of parkrunners. Our first ten events took place in the very hot summer of 2018, without a drop of rain.
At the eleventh the heavens opened and everyone got absolutely drenched and it took days to dry out the equipment! We still got 19 runners and a full complement of volunteers. Saddleworth people are a hardy bunch!
After parkrun, we head to the Reclamation Room which is just round the corner from our event. It is very friendly and the food is brilliant.
We have no interesting stories, but we have an interesting tail! Our tail-walker wears a unicorn tail. (see photo) This is very popular with our younger Tail Walker volunteers!
The local council has been very supportive, providing help and finance in the application process.
The start of a junior parkrun in the area has been a big talking point in the village and complements the Saddleworth Village Olympics, a multi-sport event for children which takes place every year in September between the 13 Saddleworth villages!
If you’re interested in finding out more about bringing parkrun to your own community, click here.
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