I bloody love parkrun I do!
It brings so much to my world. A sense of routine, community, it can give you exactly what you need when you need it, a belonging to name but a few things.
parkrun is a weekly, FREE, timed event which takes place in parks & recreational areas throughout the country (and beyond). It’s set over a 5km distance (3.1 miles in old money). You can walk, jog, run your socks off or even volunteer. It’s welcoming to the whole of the family. The Grandmas & the kids in our family take part in the Christmas events.
I work from home and our household (other than the kids school days) don’t work on a traditional Monday to Friday routine set up. There’s work days and times that changeable and patterns that aren’t set. parkrun on a Saturday provides a wee bit of an anchor for the week, particularly in school holidays.
It’s the excuse & opportunity to met with family and to see people that would probably pass us by without that structure too. A reason to met up and spend time together.
It can give you whatever you need on the day. If you want to have a meander round and some fresh air then you can do that. If you want to feel a sense of community & support & encourage other people’s endeavours then you can do that through volunteering. You can go out and blow away the cobwebs. You can aim to beat your personal best ~ whatever you need.
Volunteering is amazing and for around 90 minutes of your time you can make a difference to other people’s weekend. It’s so rewarding to be a part of.
It brings local people together and celebrates milestones & events.
It doesn’t have to be serious.
You don’t have to be fast.
AND you’ll never ever be last.
It’s super inclusive. You look around and see little littlies running with their parents, people running with their dogs, buggies getting pushed around the course, wheelchairs (at events where that’s possible) being propelled, older people, club runners, walkers, EVERYONE is equally welcome, everyone is part of the event.
It feels really corny but it’s like it has it’s own little heart beat.
Whether you take part or you volunteer I would absolutely recomend you take a look into it, be part of it & give it a go.
I’ve written a wee article & recorded a little video about what you need to know/do before your first parkrun….
