Runners taking part in the Parkrun at Bushy Park, London, the largest and oldest Parkrun in the UK
(Picture: PA)It was pouring with rain on Saturday morning but that didn’t dampen spirits among Britain’s keen amateur runners.
Scores of people flocked to their local green spaces as the weekly free exercise club, Parkrun, returned to UK streets.
As part of so-called ‘Freedom Day’ on July 19, outdoor running events such as the London Marathon, the Great North Run and the Brighton Marathon were allowed to resume in England.
That meant Parkrun, the community event which takes place each Saturday morning in parks across the country, was free to start again.
Eager participants and their supporters took to Twitter to share their delight and excitement at seeing the event back on track.
Here’s a look at some of their most heartwarming posts:
This is what it feels like to finish your 1st @parkrunUK 🤣 Well done @Felicity_Baker Great to be back at #parkrun pic.twitter.com/T4o7OPN1g7
— sophieraworth (@sophieraworth) July 24, 2021
So I did my first #parkrun @Cliffeparkrun everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I am so happy I made it all my fears went away straight away. Thank you to the group who stayed with me and gave me bubbles afterwards. Don't have any worries and just turn. @UKRunChat pic.twitter.com/eaSMi9o4fF
— natasha (@nush_nush82) July 24, 2021
Shout out to everyone who just finished their first #parkrun since March 2020.
— Teacher's Manual (@UnofficialOA) July 24, 2021
Forgot how fun these were!! ✌🏼❤️#Birmingham #CannonHillPark pic.twitter.com/5H7kJhRCms
My first ever #parkrun on our 39th wedding anniversary @parkrunUK pic.twitter.com/JazV2B8Kog
— Sue Crocombe 💙 (@shinybluedress) July 24, 2021
THIS is a day I have waited so long for!! Thank you to our @parkrunUK family for welcoming us all back… including the newest member of our family ❤️
— Nat | This Vet Runs (@Thisvetruns) July 24, 2021
We crossed the line accompanied by the lovely tail walkers, and Fia spent the whole time soaking it all up.
The Best.#parkrun pic.twitter.com/K5MmFg60Oe
Who cares if it’s blurred and it rained…it’s back! 🙌🏃🏽♂️🏃🏼♀️#parkrun @parkrunUK pic.twitter.com/OLpoaRUNDh
— Karin Giannone (@KarinBBC) July 24, 2021
Felt like a touch of normality returned this morning so very happy @ludlowparkrun , #parkrun pic.twitter.com/4ypL6rFfz3
— RunTerriRunUK (@terrigreenhalg1) July 24, 2021
How absolutely brilliant to have @parkrunUK back… even if I can’t walk for the rest of the day! Big thanks to all the volunteers. What a fantastic atmosphere, even in the rain. (No pics I’m afraid because I don’t like running with a phone). #parkrun #coronavirus #lockdown
— Jane Hill (@JaneHillNews) July 24, 2021
The best part of #parkrun today was that it felt so normal. Run. Chat. Coffee. I've missed that feeling so much. ❤️
— Darren B. John (@darrenbjohn) July 24, 2021
Though I was less happy at how far the guys at the front were socially distanced from me 😂👍#parkrunday
Thank you to all the wonderful @witneyparkrun volunteers for all their encouragement this morning. It was wonderful to be back🥳😊😍. @parkrunUK @view_wire #ParkRun pic.twitter.com/I85GULthlW
— Charlotte Smith (@cesmith70) July 24, 2021
The first #parkrun since March 2020. Fatter, greyer, slower but so good to be back. I've missed this more than anything else. Thank you to everyone at @BFparkrun ! pic.twitter.com/eR7eRluB6w
— Ed Griffith (@Dr_Ed_Griffith) July 24, 2021
It rained, no one cared, wonderful to see everyone back #castlepark #parkrun pic.twitter.com/HgbmiiRki0
— JK 💙 (@kennedy107) July 24, 2021
Ahead of Saturday, Stuart Wright, 43, an HR consultant who lives in Lancashire, spoke of his anticipation as he prepared to take on the Pendle Parkrun.
“It’s great to have something to look forward to again on Saturday morning and to see some familiar faces,” he said, adding that he had spent the past months running on his own while Parkrun was suspended.
“For me, it’s the inclusion aspect of it that I love,” he said. “At some organised 5ks or 10ks you have to be a certain time or be part of a club but Parkrun is open to everyone.
“I go with my son, who’s 10, and my mother in law, who’s in her 60s. At Pendle we’ve got a bit of a steep course that we have to go up twice, so that’s always a challenge. So I can run with her, I can run with my son and we have friends that we regularly see there.”
Wes Ball, 42, a public affairs director from Buckinghamshire, echoed Wright’s sentiments.
“Parkrun is one of the best things of my life really,” he said, “When you get there it is one of the most uplifting things you can do. It’s never a race, it’s always a chance to go running with friends.”
During lockdown, he and other fellow runners held virtual Parkruns on Facebook where people undertook challenges or posted selfies to keep the community spirit alive during lockdown.
“Parkrun really isn’t about running, it’s about communities,” he said. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re four or 90, people will welcome you.”
The chairman of the Local Government Association’s Culture Tourism and Sport Board, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said: “The LGA is delighted to see the return of Parkrun today.
“These popular events are incredibly valuable for many people in supporting both their physical and mental health and wellbeing. We’re thankful to both Parkrun and councils for their patience and hard work in supporting the safe return of these events.”
