It was a bittersweet Saturday morning for 12-year-old George Shepherd. Yes, he was tucking into a huge cake to celebrate his birthday and the completion of his 50th 5,000m run – and was clearly enjoying it.
He was upset, however, that the controversial decision by a parish council near Bristol to charge the parkrun movement for the use of its facilities meant he and his family had been forced to go elsewhere to allow him to complete his half century.
“I’m happy to have done my 50th run and very sad I couldn’t do it at Little Stoke,” he said. “But the welcome we received shows what parkrun means to so many people. It’s like one big family.”
The Little Stoke parkrun near Bristol was cancelled after Stoke Gifford parish council became the first in the world to decide to levy a charge against the global volunteer-led movement. There have been howls of protest from sports stars, politicians, health campaigners and amateur runners across the world, but the parish council has stood firm.
In an attempt take some of the heat out of the standoff – and fears that thousands of runners would descend on the park to protest – the Little Stoke organisers reluctantly called the event off.
Parkrun enthusiasts are a determined bunch, however, and scores of them went to other local events for their fix of exercise in act of defiance. George and his family drove to their next nearest run at Pomphrey Hill, a three-lap course that includes a strength-sapping slope.
It was a chilly, damp morning but George’s father, Ian, said he had run better than ever. “We usually have to coax him along a bit but he kept going today without walking at all. He left his mum behind.”
There were excellent performances from the exiles.
Little Stokers Pete Lomax, a 44-year-old chartered accountant, and civil servant Geoff Partridge, 48, both managed personal bests despite the unfriendly conditions. “I think there’s something in the air,” said Lomax. Partridge added: “It’s been a frustrating week. We were running hard to get rid of that sense of frustration.”
Lisa Hayward, 32, likes to do the Little Stoke parkrun pushing her baby, Nerissa, around in her buggy. The good smooth paths at her home park allow that but the tougher terrain of Pomphrey Hill meant another tactic was needed – husband Brad looked after baby while Hayward ran; then he was going to run the five miles home along the road.
“It’s disappointing that we’ve not been able to run at Little Park but people here have been very welcoming. I’m getting fit after having my baby. I think it’s a great example for her to grow up with us exercising.”
Stoke Gifford parish council argues that the parkrun people ought to pay for use of the park, as sporting clubs do. The parkrun team argues that the ethos of the movement is that it is free and that they believe paying a charge will set a precedent.
An average of 128 people take part in the Pomphrey Hill parkrun, but on Saturday there were 299. “This controversy has raised the profile of parkrun so at least one good thing may have come out of this,” said the run’s director Ira Rainey, a well known ultra-marathon competitor. “But let’s hope they get this sorted out.”
Taryn Talbott, 29, wore a sign declaring she was a Little Stoke exile pinned to her running vest. “I live very close to Little Stoke and can walk or run there. It’s a shame I’ve had to drive here today. It’s bad for me, bad for the environment. I’ve felt angry all week. I’ve calmed down a bit now and feel really sad.”
