Parkrun has celebrated its 20th anniversary after growing into a global phenomenon from an injured runner’s idea.
You might have spotted groups of runners getting out and about at your local park, looking perky regardless of the weather.
It was likely a Parkrun event as thousands have been held by volunteers since Paul Sinton-Hewitt organised the first run at Bushy Park in southwest London on October 2, 2004.
He was recovering from an injury and unable to run when he organised the first free, timed 5k run which attracted 13 runners initially.
Paul had no clue that his idea would turn into something thousands of GPs now recommend for patients for their mental and physical wellbeing – and spread across 23 countries.
While Parkrun has grown, its purpose was never to become an overwhelming mass event.
In August when Bushy Park hosted its 1,000th event, more than 6,000 people went along, leading Paul to issue a reminder of the ethos of Parkrun.
While the local team still delivered a successful event despite long queues at the finish, Paul said he did not want there to be similar scenes ahead of the weekend.
Paul, who did not attend the 1,000th event, told PA news agency: ‘I’m concerned about the numbers for the anniversary. Nobody wanted to have that many runners at parkrun. It’s not what we are about.
‘The local team did a brilliant job. The people who participated did it in a wonderful way, like a festival. People just had to be kind to each other.
‘But I never want to see it again.’
He reiterated that the event is about people in the same community coming together, with numbers at ‘a reasonable level where you can identify other people in the community, you can identify people like you.’
The first event was organised as a way to stay connected with running friends when Paul could not run himself and those community connections continue to be the driving force for the event’s growth.
He was inspired by similar events in South Africa, where he grew up, and where people would run and then get together for coffee.
He shared leaflets for the first event with his two clubs, Ranelagh Harriers and The Stragglers, and said: ‘Of the 13 people who pitched up, I knew about eight.
‘I didn’t recognise everyone. Of the 13 about eight came for coffee, that was the start of the experience.’
The Saturday morning 5k at Bushy Park grew in popularity, reached 155 participants at its peak and even took place on Christmas Day.
Paul said he had struggled with his mental health all his life but ‘started to feel the benefit of this.’
Between 2006 and 2007, runs started in Wimbledon, Richmond, Banstead, Leeds and Brighton while the first international event was held in Zimbabwe.
Some runners have become hooked on Parkruns.
Darren Woods, 42, from Carshalton in south London, has taken part in 913 runs.
He said the community is now more important to him than the running itself.
Having been ‘around since the second one,’ Darren explained parkrun has now introduced parkwalk because ‘they don’t want to put people off who think the need to be fast.’
Darren said: ‘It used to be about the running for me very much early on but I think my approach has changed and it is more about the community.
‘It’s no longer Saturday, it’s ‘parkrun day’.
‘It’s about going there and spending time with your parkrun family.’
Parkruns have seen everything from sweat, tears and joy – and even a romantic proposal.
One runner got down on one knee on Christmas Day after he and his partner crossed the finish line.
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