Parkrun marks 20 years of a free weekly jog, run... or walk

Come rain or shine, runners from around the world brave the ever-constant 9:00 am start to race to the finish line at one of the 2,500 Parkruns across 23 countries.

"If someone had said to me 20 years ago that Parkrun was going to be such a phenomenon, I would certainly have walked away, saying that it was too much for me," Sinton-Hewitt told AFP.

"What began as a small gathering has become a powerful force for good, promoting health, happiness and togetherness."

On October 5, walkers, runners and the volunteers who give up their Saturday mornings to point the way, shout encouragement and dutifully clock times will mark two decades of Parkrun.

On the green grass of Hampstead Heath in north London, some 400 people take part every week, arriving just before the start either on their own or as a group, with friends or to meet new ones.

Afterwards, everyone is invited to the park cafe.

"It's the best way to start the weekend," said Olivia Unwin, a 26-year-old writer who took part in her first Parkrun last year and has since run 48.

"I don't run fast but that's not a problem. I've met lots of friends. It gets me awake and I never regret going."

Martin Boyle does Parkrun with his two teenage sons. "It's a family thing, a combination of fun and competition," he said.

"It's good for them and they see their improvement."

Some participants wear a blue t-shirt with "500" on it, signifying that they have reached the Holy Grail of more than 500 Parkruns.

Len Voralia is one of them. At 82, he has run 612.

"I'm slowing down. I make an effort," he said, vowing to keep turning up every Saturday until he is at least 90.
Mental health
Runners know exactly how long it has taken them to complete the course, thanks to an individual bar code they hand in at the finish.

"If some want to compete, if they want to be the fastest, they're welcome and we celebrate that," said Sinton-Hewitt.

But everyone of all abilities is welcome, he said.

"If others just want to walk and get some exercise, they're just as welcome. Exercise is natural, it can be fun. It doesn't have to be hard," he added.

Sinton-Hewitt was 44 when he created Parkrun after getting injured while training for a marathon.

"I was aware that I could use running as a very good tool to control my moods to help me deal with difficult times. Running helped me manage my mental health," he said.

From the first event at his local Bushy Park, in southwest London, a second was organised in nearby Wimbledon.

The first overseas event was in Denmark and there are now Parkruns from Australia and Zimbabwe to Germany and Ireland. Lithuania was the most recent country to join.

The phenomenon, however, has failed to take hold in some countries, notably France, where a medical certificate to participate is compulsory.

But in 20 years its growth has been astonishing: more than six million people have taken part, with over 100 million finishers, not to mention the 900,000 volunteers to organise events.

Parkruns only stopped during Covid -- and it has now branched out to children's events over two kilometres on Sunday morning and even to 25 prisons.

The Christmas run is one of the biggest of the year and often sees runners in costume.

"A lot of people are lonely on Christmas Day and this is an opportunity for lonely people to come together and meet," said Sinton-Hewitt.

"There are families who now come out before they open their presents."