parkrunfans blog

Doubling the numbers in the Burnage parkrun puddle!

2025-12-16T22:34:00.000+00:00

So it started out when one runner commented that he wished he’d booked to come to Copenhagen with us as, depending on who turned up on the day, he had a chance of his first 1^st place finish! So when I spotted the results from Burnage (Men’s 1^st place in 21:38, ladies in 26:29) it seemed like an opportunity too good to miss!!

Burnage is a small (I know they won’t mind me saying this!) off-road parkrun near Stockport quite close to the M60 (more on that later!) making it easy for tourists from Yorkshire to get to. With 8 signed up from Leeds, one from Oldham and an indeterminate number of the Huddersfield Running Bunnies scheduled to go I thought it only fair to warn the event organisers who were very helpful and keen to see us and forewarned us of the need for trail shoes and about the “puddle”. The team at Burnage consist mainly of non-runners from the rugby club who do a great job of organising the event each week!

Meeting up at mine just after 7am (I live next to the motorway so it’s logistically beneficial not selfish!) we set off in 2 cars with Nicky driving one, me the other including parkrun royalty Nicola Forwood (aka SWMNBN, please listen to the parkrun show if you have no idea what I am banging on about!). I had a detour over Saddleworth moor into Oldham to pick up Simon Bruce Lake (aka Simon Bruce Lee) but still managed to get there before Nicky, which should have warned me of things to come…

Ample parking at the rugby club, toilets and changing facilities made a welcome change, especially as I had over-estimated the time needed to get there mainly due to the fact that I have a 7 year old and am usually late for everything! With Bunnies arriving all the time it looked like a good turn out. 2 last minute arrivals from Leeds of course but we were all there in time, 25 in total!

The run briefing was done in great spirit making much of our “Sister Wendy”, aka Matthew Kelly on the front row after we’d made sure everybody knew he was there for the “win” (sorry Danny, but I can’t keep saying 1^st place finish!)! In a biting northerly wind we set off along the Mersey for the small loop before heading round the rugby club and round the corner to face the “puddle”. It was about 2 degrees when we started running and it was knee deep in places and very cold! Apart from the smell it is best described in pictures…

That last one is Nicky- it may look like he can walk on water but.....

2 laps, and 2 visits to the “puddle” and subsequent 26 step climb later and we were back in the field for a slight uphill finish. With a 2^nd and 3^rd finish (well done Matthew and James) as well as the 1^st lady (Hannah) results-wise it went well- the main fun as always was further down the field! Kerry Bunny (aka The Boss) had the kids with as did Nicky, all of whom gamely tackled the freezing smelly water with good humour- young James even said it was the best course he has ever done!! Everyone piled in and I would have loved to have been that photographer who must have seen some right expressions when people realised it was knee deep! Some brilliant pictures though….

So post run, and into the clubhouse bar (with clean trainers on of course!) and I have never seen a room full of smiling laughing parkrunners making so much noise!

The bacon butties were excellent (cannot comment on the price as someone kindly paid the driver in coffee and a sarnie!). Most notable was the mickey taking of Sister Wendy after 24 of us had gone all that way to see him take the win – and fail! In general though our hosts seemed to really enjoy having a roomful for an hour afterwards entertaining them and chatting with them whilst they processed the results! We are no longer surprised by the hospitality of the volunteer teams at any parkrun, but I would like to say thanks to Rachael and the team for making this one fantastic!

Then onto the motorway – or not as the case may be. For those who do not know the geography from Burnage you turn right at the top of the road and a mile and a quarter later you hit the M60. This leads to M62 and home. From the clubhouse to my front door you can describe the route with 8 turns, most of them after leaving the M62.

The other car from Leeds with Nicky driving left about half an hour before us – I took the same detour on the way back through Oldham and over the moors to drop off Simon and soon we were home. Except Rick’s car was still on my drive, and as he was with Nicky and they should have been long gone! A quick phone call later and I was rolling about in the middle of the road with tears streaming down my face- somehow the sat nav had got stuck on “avoid motorways” and a complete lack of common sense had prevailed! Even realising this but sticking to his guns Nicky proceeded to take the group on a tour of Cheshire and north Derbyshire! Fortunately the others all have a great sense of humour (and were in no rush!) and we awaited their arrival petty much in hysterics, with coffee.

A few more coffees later after Rick recounted the entire misadventure we were done for the day, though all phones pinged simultaneously as the results came through before we had done! Good work team – and we were done for the day.

Except we weren’t – Nicky first returned with Rick’s phone which he’d left in the car then I find out that Nicky once ended up from Leeds at Manchester Airport, when he’d been aiming for Scunthorpe! Completely the opposite direction in case you need a map! Thanks to Mrs Nicky (aka Toni for sharing that gem with me!). I do have to add that he was only 18 at the time and obviously that was in the days before sat nav but even so...

The day ended with the publication of the pictures – a fantastic job done by Mark Alwyne who’s complete set can be viewed here causing the hilarity to go on long into the night.

Full results can be found here, most of the first timers were us!!

Here’s to many more parkrun tours if they are all going to be like this- thanks guys both tourists, hosts, photographers and navigators for a fantastic day! Next stop Dublin for Malahide parkrun, to find out more look us up on Facebook and feel free to use the page to organise your own tours!!

Only one last picture can truly sum up what a great time we all had, despite the puddle, and it has to be…..

Marathon runners and other inspiration

2015-04-24T14:37:00.001+01:00

Given my recent operation, I have plenty of time on my hands and have found myself reading and watching some very inspirational stories.

Last week I was reading the book "parkrun - much more than just a run in the park". This book contains details of the history of parkrun, it's starting's, it's growth, plus numerous stories from parkrunners. As you can probably imagine, many of these stories chart how the parkrunner was introduced to running through parkrun and has gone on to achieve many greater things: faster times, longer distances, joining a running club, even completing marathons. Some of the recoveries from illness and injury that are associated with finding parkrun are truly amazing. I found many of these stories the perfect medicine for me as I start to consider what sporting possibilities might lie ahead of me and my new hip.

This week I have moved on to another book. I rarely read, so this in itself is no mean feat. I am now reading Charlie Spedding's autobiography "From Last to First". This is a very well written book (the review from The Independant quoted on the front says so!), and incredible as it may seem, I'm finding it even more inspirational than the parkrun book. Charlie Spedding isn't the household name like other British distance runners of his era: Brendan Foster, Seb Coe, Dave Moorcroft and Steve Ovett to name but a few, but perhaps he should be.

Charlie admits many times over in his book that he was not the greatest talent, he often turned in mediocre performances, and finished way down the field in many of his track and road races. But, he also knew how to get the best out of himself and produce the absolute maximum from his talent, through hard training of course, but also by concentrating on a few races that he gave the greatest importance to. For example, he won hist very first marathon in Houston in 1984, followed a few months later by winning the London Marathon, then just a few months later he came third and won the bronze medal in the marathon at the Los Angeles Olympics. On each occasion he was far from the best athlete in the field on best previous time, but he knew he could do it, he trained and ran to a plan and he found a way to do it, when many of his other performances suggested it was improbable to say the least. The English record for the marathon that he set in 1985 stood until 2014 when a certain Mo Farah only managed to beat it by 12 seconds, and we all know how good Mo Farah is!

Charlie's story, and particularly his recovery from many injuries and operations with many weeks and months of rehab whilst not even being able to walk properly, has really helped me see what is possible. I don't think I'll be winning an Olympic medal next year, but this is not what Charlie was aiming for - he just wanted to ensure that he made full use of his talents and that is something that everyone can do, and something that I will aim to do too.

Yesterday I watched the film "Invincible". This is the story of Vince Papale, a thirty-something part time teacher and bar worker who went along to the open trials to try to play for the Philadelphia Eagles (American Football) in the mid 1970's. He had never even played college football, which is usually a pre-requisite to play professionally. Against all the odds, Vince made it through the trials and all the cuts and eventually made it into the team through sheer hard work and determination. Vince really showed what is possible, and even when others thought he was too old he proved that he wasn't. You would have thought this was all Disney/Hollywood make-believe, but the story is true. More truly inspirational stuff showing that you are never too old to live your dreams.

Today I read a BBC sport article about Paula Radcliffe. Paula is a real hero of mine. I have always felt a great affinity with her, having been at and represented Loughborough University at the same time as her. I'm sure she still mentions that time when Ian Wilkinson overtook her on a run around campus as much as I do! Though she probably makes more of the fact that she was walking at the time!

Paula is aiming for one last competitive run at the London Marathon this weekend. She hopes she will be back again in the future, but she will not train hard for it again. This really is one last hurrah! Paula has suffered greatly over the past few years with some horrible injury problems, the most severe of which saw her almost unable to walk for many months. The fact that she has recovered enough to train is amazing and to get enough fitness to run a semi-competitive marathon whilst in her early forties is pretty incredible, Paula's determination is amazing and I truly hope she gets the outcome she is hoping for.

And finally.....on Sunday we have another huge serving of inspiration to look forward to as 40,000 or so amazing people of all shapes and sizes, and with the full range of sporting talents between them, do something truly incredible and run the London Marathon.

I certainly feel nicely topped up with all the inspiration I need to make a good comeback and perhaps take on some new sporting challenges when the time comes. I may not have the flexibility and speed of youth any more, but I intend to make full use of the experience and stamina that comes with age having been totally inspired by the amazing stories I have mentioned above.

Walk before you run!

2015-04-22T17:05:00.000+01:00

Today is exactly three weeks to the day since my left total hip replacement and it also saw my first physio appointment since leaving hospital (on day 4).

Before the operation I had received a physio booklet outlining the exercises that I should carry out both straight after the operation (whilst still in hospital) and ongoing for the weeks after leaving hospital. It also contained plenty of other do's and don'ts plus techniques for things "normos" can do easily such as climbing and descending stairs, going to the toilet and putting your pants on! All useful info I can assure you in my recent situation! It's quite strange getting to the bathroom and then wondering how to physically do what you have always done naturally, but I'll leave that there.

Before I left hospital, the on-site physio team had repeatedly tested my understanding of the exercise routine and I felt well drilled before I left.

Further instructions in the booklet described what I should do regarding walking, both that it should be with two crutches, should start with small distances, but also that the distance should be slowly increased daily.

So here I was, left with a set of exercises to repeat and walking distances to increase daily, plus what is best described as a "runner's brain"! And advantage you would think.....

My "runner's brain" told me that, if I can do these exercises well and comfortably, then I should gradually increase the quantity. So what started out as 5 repetitions of each exercise gradually became 15 of each exercise, with all the exercises repeated as a block 6 times a day. AND what started out as a 100m round trip up the road and back had increased to 600m within a few days, had gradually increased to half a mile 3 times a day and then for the last 3 days, it had increased further to 1 mile each time, 3 times a day. Over that period, my walking speed had increased too, fairly significantly early on, but for the last week it had evened out at very roughly 2 miles an hour, or around half the speed I would usually walk. This was a safe speed and I had no desire to go any faster than this whilst using crutches.

To runners that just sounds like training doesn't it? Gradually increase repetitions. Gradually increase distance. Gradually increase speed.

Today I saw my physio and finally understood the point of all of this!

For years, due to my deteriorating hips, a sub-concious decision to prevent the discomfort of osteo-arthritis, a concious decision to prevent the sharp pain I would sometimes get when my hip got into the wrong alignment, plus the gradual physical changes to my skeleton (yes my skeleton actually adapted itself to prevent pain), my walking gait had become abnormal. To anyone that knows me, I'm sure this has been obvious for many years, and even to myself, when catching a glimpse of myself in a mirror or shop window, it was obvious that I was walking like "the missing link", hunched forward, leaning into the next stride. And it was impossible for me to correct.

This style of walking is not normal, and along with removing the pain, one of the main objectives of the surgeon and the physio team is to return me to a "normal" walking gait. That does not mean back to my normal, but instead to "normal" normal! And this is the point of the physio exercises and the recovery period. Now this might be obvious to everyone else, but as a runner I had missed the subtlety of the old adage of "quality NOT quantity". Today I finally got it!

I have now been given a greater number and variety of exercises. These are to be performed in smaller sets. The idea here is that for each exercise, the first repetition is naturally tentative, the second increases the range of motion and by the 4th and 5th you have probably gone as far as you are going to that time (trying to push the boundary a bit on those last two if possible). Any more are pretty pointless. As my physio said, "this isn't strength training - you are only lifting your own leg!". But there was thing I had spot on, I should be repeating all the exercises as many times a day as I can, without causing too much pain or swelling.

Walking greater distances at greater speeds is also important, but I really do have to "walk before I can run". And in my case I need to learn how to walk properly again first, This is not just a mental thing, I also have to physically teach my muscles, tendons and ligaments to be able to allow and control a different and greater range of motion in all directions. For the last 5 years I have been a runner, when I couldn't really do any other sport any more. This can only be due to the fact that moving my legs in a straight line (front-to-back) didn't hurt (as much) in the same way as lateral movement. But this has also ensured that front-to-back movement is all I can really control, and controlled movement in all other directions now has to be re-learnt.

So, for the next week at least, I will be on a reduced daily walking distance and an increased and more varied set of physio exercises. I'm really pleased that I had my physio appointment today and that my focus has been shifted into the right areas that are really going to have the effects I need to get me back to "normal".

And one thing is for sure, now that I know the exercises that I need to do, as "a runner" I have no problem at all in repeating those exercises over and over again - after all, it's only training!

The power of parkrun

2015-04-18T11:54:00.001+01:00

What a lovely morning for a parkrun!

Given my current post-op situation I was of course unable to parkrun myself today. I didn't even feel that I was able to volunteer, partly because I wasn't sure if I could stand in one position for long enough to be of any use and also partly due to the volunteer roster already being full.

All that said, I was determined to be there. I've missed the last two, firstly due to being hospital and then last week due to being too immobile to get there. The fact my wife had decided to parkrun herself today, when she normally wouldn't, was also a great reason to be there to cheer her on.

I was in a strange mood yesterday, a bit bored of the things I've been doing (not much) for that last two weeks and I suppose I was feeling ready to up the ante in my recovery (mentally at least), but knowing that I really shouldn't try to do too much too soon.

parkrun this morning was just what I needed!

I was reading Debra Bourne's book "parkrun - more than just a run in the park" yesterday, as I have been for the last few days, and there are (amongst many others) a few truths that I read in that book yesterday about all the benefits of parkrun. Being out in our beautiful park, in the sun, seeing so many familiar faces, cheering on all my friends and countless others that I don't know quite so well, or even at all. The feel good factor was amazing this morning and the perfect lift to start my day.

I had chats with so many of my parkrun friends this morning, all keen to come over and say hello and see how my post-op recovery is progressing. One of my mates even stopped half way through his run to chat to me for at least a minute, completely unconcerned about the detrimental affect on his own parkrun. I really felt that strong caring side of our parkrun community. It was great.

I'm still not sure what I can do, but I felt compelled to volunteer for the next two weeks. I suspect that standing will be comfortable by next week, so I'm sure I'll be fine. By committing, at least I guarantee that I head up to the park for my fix of parkrun awesomeness the next two parkrundays!

I'm really glad I went. parkrun is amazing!

Two weeks, two walks

2015-04-15T15:59:00.001+01:00

Today marks two weeks since my Total Hip Replacement. I decided to mark the occasion by attempting two longer walks today, having managed 400m just yesterday.

This morning I managed roughly 600m (12% of a parkrun) in about 14 minutes, giving a projected parkrun time of 1 hour 56 minutes.

And this afternoon I did a full lap of the block we live on (previously measured on mapmyrun at just over half a mile or 800m). This equates to 16% of a parkrun and totalled with the morning walk gives over a quarter of a parkrun in the day. This walk took roughly 18 minutes, giving a projected parkrun time of 1 hour 49 minutes.

The most important things are that I am being very careful, it is getting easier, the aches and pains are lessening, the flexibility and strength are returning and my gait is gradually feeling more natural every day.

Tomorrow I see my consultant and am hoping that he is pleased with the progress and encourages me to keep upping the distance and regularity of the walks and other exercises. With a bit of luck I might get his approval to swim and also to get on a static exercise bike before too long.

Improvement measured in parkruns

2015-04-14T14:51:00.001+01:00

I recently entered the more active part of my hip replacement recovery.

Up until the end of last week, all exercise (hobbling with crutches and various strengthening and flexibility exercises) had been strictly limited to around the house.

On Saturday, being parkrunday, I was drawn into stepping outside the house for my first "longer" walk. I set my sights pretty low and headed for the top of the road, roughly 50 metres away. The 100m round trip took roughly 8 minutes. Giving a projected parkrun time of roughly 6 hours 40 minutes. I know all us parkrunners deal in distances based on the unit of a "parkrun". That wasn't quite PB territory, but that wasn't really the aim on this occasion.

On Sunday I decided to follow the post-op advice to the letter, of increasing walking distance daily. So this time I headed down the hill aiming for the second telegraph pole, roughly a 200m round trip. This time it took about 11 minutes, for a projected parkrun time of 4 hours 35 minutes. Getting quicker but still a struggle and not feeling like normal walking at all.

Yesterday (Monday) I upped the target to the third telegraph pole, for a 300m round trip. This time it took about 15 minutes, still feeling anything but comfortable. Project parkrun time at a very similar pace of 4 hours 20 minutes.

I have just been for today's expedition in glorious sunshine and this time I aimed for the end of the road, 4 telegraph poles away and a fully 400m round trip.

Two gas engineers were setting up some barriers across the path half way down the road, and much as I was tempted to test my post-op hurdling technique they were kind enough to move the barriers out of my way. I mentioned that I was going to the end of the road and would be back in a minute. They jokingly pointed out it would "be more like 15!", and duly took a well deserved tea-break. Needless to say I was down and back in around 6 minutes...in your face gas men! The round trip took only just over 11 minutes, for a projected parkrun time of 2 hours 18 minutes. And this time it almost felt like a natural walking gait, certainly more so than any other time since the op. Today felt like a huge step forward, without being risky.

Slow and steady wins the race!

Hip replacement recovery - the early days

2015-04-09T11:39:00.001+01:00

I had my left hip replaced on Wednesday 1st April 2015. More superstitious people might have wanted to avoid that date, but it didn't bother me. The odd joke relating to "which leg" and even "which eye" certainly helped to lighten the mood. I have to say that I surprised myself with how relaxed I was about the whole thing.

I opted for a spinal epidural and sedation rather than a general anaesthetic purely based on the advice of the anaesthetist relating to better pain relief in the first few hours and less nausea. As it turned out, I apparently became a bit fidgety during the operation so was given a general anaesthetic too at that stage.

The first day I was quite sleepy and fairly pain free whilst the effects of the epidural lasted. I wouldn't realise how much help that was giving until later! There were some frustrations in those early hours as I was unable to move my toes, feet or legs due to the epidural. I did notice that I was wearing some rather fetching Paula Radcliffe style long compression socks. These are intended to help fight off DVT but I'm sure they will also make me fast like Paula!

The first night was horrible. The effects of the epidural had worn off, regular doses including 7 different tables, plus liquid morphine were not enough and sleep was impossible. That bit wasn't at all nice. It was a very long night!

The day after the operation I knew a Physio session was due and that they were going to get me out of bed for a walk! Perhaps word hadn't reached them that I just had a new hip and they were still dining out on the "which eye " April Fools Day gags! I have had a lot of muscle injuries in my sporting life and plenty of Physio as a result, but somehow I really built up how hard this was going to be in my own head. My obs were taken and all were apparently very good/normal.

My first period of standing wasn't particularly successful. It was successful in that I was able to be positioned in a standing position, though my role in the action of moving from lying to standing was purely limited to being there. I had a Zimmer frame and clutched it firmly. I had a Physio on one arm and my wife (Charlotte) near to the other arm. I was asked if I was ok and recall saying "yes", shortly followed by "I'm going".....

The next thing I remember is being held by Charlotte and said Physio, lots of shouting for more hands on deck and basically looking up at the ceiling with that Zimmer frame still gripped firmly in my hands but pointing slightly too far away from the ground to be of any use. I had feinted! My fingers were peeled from the handle of the Zimmer frame one by one with a fair degree of resistance from me, and I was relocated to the bed. The oxygen mask went on and the Physio session was abandoned until later in the day....something to look forward to!

Physios and nurses agreed that the feinting was probably due to the double morphine concoction that I was on, but personally I think I had psyched myself out by over thinking it. I was just stunned that they wanted the hip to be weight bearing less than 24 hours after the op.

The afternoon Physio session arrived (oh joy!) and this time my years of sporting determination and willingness to push through the pain barrier were brought into the equation. Just before the process started I gave myself a few slaps around the face and even a little Andy Murray esque "come on!". I was determined to succeed this time, after all I bet the old dears manage this first time!

Standing position was achieved...I'll let the Physio's take credit for that again, and with Zimmer frame in hand the marathon into the corridor (just outside my room) commenced. Much pain and grimacing later I reach the middle of the corridor, at least 5 metres from where I had started! Immediately the Physio upped the ante and had the Zimmer frame replaced by crutches. Not playing fair! I then somehow managed to walk back into my room with the crutches. Boy was that hard work! I don't think I sweat that much on a summer long-run!

On the next day I was out of my room with the Physio for a longer walk with the crutches and shown some standing rehabilitation exercises to start on and to build up the number of repetitions over the next 6 weeks. At least this part I was used to from all my injury recoveries of the past. To a runner, this type of repetitious exercising is our bread and butter!

The next few days saw increasing distances with the crutches and finally stairs as I built up the confidence and mobility to be allowed home, which is where I am now.

Return of the stats - parkrun milestones

2015-04-08T16:17:00.001+01:00

Since I was last blogging regularly, back in October 2013, there have been some amazing parkrun milestones. So in case you have missed some of those, here is a quick update....

Weekly finishers in the UK:

Back in October 2013, the highest number of UK parkrun finishers in a single week was 35,518. That was an impressive record, but just 18 months later and the record is now a staggering 61,754 and it has been well over 55,000 every week since January. Given recent yearly trends, I wouldn't be surprised to see a new record in excess of 70,000 within a few weeks as the Spring weather lures out some parkrunners from their Winter hibernation as well as attracting a few that have been waiting for some nicer weather before making their parkrun debut.

Number of events:

There are now 621 registered parkrun locations worldwide.

In the UK we had just over 220 parkrun locations back in October 2013, but we have added nearly another 100 locations in the last 18 months with 319 UK parkrun locations currently.

Registered runners:

When I was last blogging we hadn't yet reached 1 million registered parkrunners and now we have well over 1.5 million people registered with parkrun worldwide.

Total finishers:

There have now been an incredible 6,568,367 parkrun finishers in the UK.

Different runners:

A ridiculous 660,225 different people have now completed at least 1 parkrun in the UK. Just imagine how busy all our events would be if even 25% of those all decided to turn up one week!

Highest attendance record:

As you might expect, Bushy parkrun (the original location and home of parkrun) still holds the record with a massive 1705 runners set on 4th October 2014. Back in October 2013 that record was "just" 1051, so quite an increase! Also, 26 different UK parkrun events now have an attendance record of over 500 and there are 5 more over the 500 mark in Australia.

Non-returning parkrunners:

This isn't a figure I'd like to dwell on, but some 307,088 runners have only ever completed a single, solitary parkrun. I'm hoping a big chunk of those were in recent weeks and will be back soon!

500 club member:

parkrun now has it's very first member of the 500 club. Just a couple of weeks ago, Darren Wood completed his 500th parkrun. Unbelievably, the second highest number of runs is currently 441, so it will be well over a year before we have a second member of the 500 club.

250 club members:

There are now 221 members of the 250 club - the club for parkrunners that have run 250 parkruns or more.

I don't think I'm exactly sticking my neck out to say that "I think parkrun might just be here to stay"!

My hips, my parkrun and me

2015-04-08T11:20:00.001+01:00

Very roughly speaking it has now been 16 months since my last parkrunfans blog post. That period of time has coincided with a bit of a "falling out of love" with running. Don't get me wrong, I still love parkrun, but for a number of interrelated reasons I haven't been able to enjoy it like I once had. And it's fair to say that having less love for running had stifled my urge to blog about parkrun.

Now I really don't know how long this renaissance will last, but for now at least, I feel that urge again.

There have been some huge parkrun milestones in the intervening period, and I might come back to cover those in later posts, but for now I want to explain my falling out of love with running and the drastic measures I have taken to make sure I can get the greatest possible enjoyment out of parkrun again.

Let's start back at the beginning of my parkrun journey....

In January 2010 I was having significant hip problems due to a life of sport and probably some genetic pre-disposition. I saw a consultant and was told that I needed to have both of my hips replaced! I was only 35 at the time and felt "too young" to consider such a drastic approach. Instead I quit playing football and started the longest period of inactivity I have ever had...that lasted a couple of months and then in early April 2010 I found Coventry parkrun.

Now running may not be what the Consultant would have prescribed, but I found that it didn't hurt like the football did, and I was ok at it. Within just a few weeks I was a sub-19 minute runner.

I caught the parkrun bug and it started to replace football for me.

Fast forward 3 years and I reached my parkrun and general running peak (to date - ever the optimist!), getting my parkrun PB down to 17:27 and PBs at every distance I attempted.

After that there was what started as a natural gentle slide from my peak, but then with a gradual return of the old hip pain, this slide picked up pace (as I lost it!) and before long it became clear that this was not a temporary loss of form.

During the last 6-12 months I reached the point where I gave up running (except for parkrun of course) and took up cycling instead. And in the last few months, even parkrun had become agony. The first 5 minutes might feel ok, but the rest was just hobbling and grimacing and certainly not enjoyable at all.

This distressed me greatly!

Since "finding" parkrun I have hoped it would be a weekly fixture for the rest of my life, such is the positive way it allows my weekend to start. Not being able to enjoy it was not acceptable for me.

A couple of months ago I decided that it was time to cure the problem and contacted a consultant. Between us we agreed that it was time for a Total Hip Replacement of my left hip. The right one might be done at some stage in the next few years if all goes well I'd guess.

My aims include getting rid of all the pain experienced in the simple everyday tasks such as driving or putting on socks, but extends to a return to running at pace and with enjoyment rather than pain.

So, last Wednesday I had my new hip (ceramic-on-ceramic for a better expected life span for young active patients).

I am now a week into recovery and walking with crutches. My leg is battered and bruised, but I am walking several times a day and I can manage the stairs, albeit slowly. Running feels a long way off, I have heard mention of 6-12 months before proper running, but I believe jogging will be allowed way before that.

One of the great things about parkrun is that I don't need to be race fit to take part. I can certainly go once I can jog, and even as a walker I would be welcomed. To know that I have parkrun to help me return to running will be a real motivation for me. And even before I can walk I will be able to volunteer. I was a bit spaced out on the post-op drugs at the time, but I'm pretty sure I volunteered for a few weeks time, from the hospital bed the day after my op. I did specify a seated volunteer role though!

I'll probably try and blog again in the coming days, weeks and months to update on my post-op recovery. Hopefully it will turn out to be a very positive story on my return to parkrun from my Total Hip Replacement. I wonder if parkrun is prescribed by the NHS yet? And if not, why not? As I can't think of a better thing to aim for and to aid in post-op recovery.

Rushmore parkrun

2014-05-17T17:08:00.002+01:00

It isn't often that I don't feel like parkrunning. There are many weeks when I would quite happily do an extra parkrun or two every week, but this morning was different. It had been a very long week at work, I'd had emergency dental work done, I'd dealt with all my exam classes going into stratospheric levels of stress and just about managed to get out and run all my scheduled runs. I am still suffering the effects of the 50k race I did and my training runs had been at a pace that would not have worried a snail. Added to this, three of the children had to be at a school open day, so I wouldn't have my son with me and therefore no excuse for a slow run. The temptation to stay in bed was very real.

But, I did get out of bed and I did parkrun. Three weeks ago a new parkrun started locally: Rushmore parkrun. I couldn't go as I was doing this instead, so decided to go today instead. I went with a friend. I still find it much easier to go along with someone rather than on my own, and we found our way to the start without too much problem. We did miss the very clearly signposted carpark, but we do know where it is for next time! Hanging around at the start someone came up to me and said 'Are you MrsBridgewater? You must meet our Event Director!' I was a little taken aback - turns out that this was someone who read my blog and said lots of nice things about it. The event director, Chris, was lovely and very welcoming. I am sure he is far more relaxed now than he was three weeks ago.

There was a briefing for new runners, a pre run brief near the start line and then we were off. I had been concerned that this would be a 'twice round a sports field' type of run (which always reminds me of being punished for being naughty or skiving games at school) but it was much more interesting than that! Yes we did run across a sports field, but we also ran along a path at the edge of the road, down and along a canal tow path and through a wooded area and underneath a tree lined avenue to the finish. Part of the route was on tarmac - sweet! Some of it was on grass and on (what could be had it not been hot) a muddy towpath - to be expected on a sports field, but there did seem to be quite a bit of gravel. I HATE gravel. I really do dislike it! My friend, who was running with her son, said she thought of me when they got to the gravel bits! Still - it could be avoided quite easily by running on the grass - so that's what I did. The course was brilliantly marshalled by friendly volunteers. There are 2 short downhill sections, but no noticeable uphills - which make this a course with great PB potential.

One thing I hate about as much as gravel is running near someone who has jangly keys in their pockets. I ran too fast in the first mile trying to get away from the pillock who was running near me with keys jangling. It was only when I found myself running on my own and I could still hear the jangling that I realised I was the culprit! Normally I give my car key to my older daughter to look after while she volunteers, but she was at school and I'd shoved the keys in my pocket with my barcode tags and a ten pound note! I took the key out of my pocket and things were much better after that, if a bit slower! I was pleased that I maintain a reasonable pace, not too concerned that it was way off PB pace as I haven't set myself an insurmountable target to beat next time I run at Rushmore. I was the 5th lady home - been a long time since I've finished that high in the rankings. I'm quite pleased with that, even if I only achieved it by summoning everything I had left to overtake a lovely lady in the final 150m! My guilt at this is made worse on discovering that she is a teacher at my middle child's school! Oops!

Sadly the coffee van man failed to materialise again. A huge shame as with over 150 people there (runners, volunteers, supporters) on a lovely sunny morning he'd have sold a few drinks! There are plenty of park benches near the start/finish too for those of us who are too old to sit on the floor (or too old to get up again once we've sat down on the floor). If anyone local has a coffee van or knows someone who has one, why not get in touch via the Rushmore parkrun page and see if you can offer your services?

Thanks to all the team for a great run! You even laid on fantastic weather. I'll be back with a short person soon!

parkrun stats of the week...12th October 2013

2013-10-15T17:32:00.000+01:00

The parkrun statistics of note for last weekend are:
- 315 parkrun events run (NEW RECORD - I believe that is now 7 record breaking weeks in a row)
- 45,515 runners

The average number of runners per parkrun event run was: 144.5

14 parkrun events recorded new record attendances last weekend, as follows:

Event		Record Attendance
Aberdeen		240
Armagh		87
Berwick Springs		126
Kalgoorlie-Boulder		91
Leszno		94
Nahoon Point		611
Parramatta		129
Pennington Flash		208
Pontefract		213
Pontypridd		168
Sewerby		188
South Manchester		347
Southend		271
Victoria		200

Event		Record Attendance	Record Week
Amager Faelled		146	28/08/2010

The longest standing parkrun attendance record is:

And in the UK it's:

Hackney Marshes

21/05/2011

The highest attendance this week was exactly 850 at Bushy parkrun.
And outside the UK it was 550 at Newy parkrun in Australia.

The lowest attendance this week was just 4 at Durham NC parkrun.

89 runners ran under 17 minutes around the world of parkrun last weekend. 6 of them under 16 minutes.

The fastest parkrunner in the world last weekend was Jacek Sobas, running 15:41 at Wroclaw parkrun in Poland.

The top age grade performance last weekend was 92.82%, by Ros Tabor, running 21:50 in the VM60-64 category at Southwark parkrun.

And a quick look at a superb junior performance:
Ben Clarke set a new category record at St Albans pakrun, running 17:16 in the JM14 category - very impressive.

Paul Freyne still tops the table of most different parkrun events attended, with 156 different event locations in his 200 parkrun outings. And a special mention for Leon Foster who has run 51 of his 52 parkruns at different parkrun events - amazing parkrun tourism!

parkrun stats of the week...5th October 2013

2013-10-08T18:08:00.004+01:00

The parkrun statistics of note for last weekend are:
- 309 parkrun events run (just 1 short of the record from the previous week)
- 48,228 runners (NEW RECORD - Breaking the previous record by nearly 3,000 runners! Amazing!)

The average number of runners per parkrun event run was: 156 (10 more runners per event than last week).

An incredible total of 37 parkrun events recorded new record attendances last weekend, as follows:

Event		Record Attendance
Alice Holt		157
Augustine Heights		79
Burgess		95
Cairns		86
Camperdown		133
Catton		183
Citypark		110
Cornwall Park		118
Curl Curl		141
Delta		365
Dusi		198
Ebotse		208
Guildford		256
Gunnersbury		310
Kawana		210
Krakow		64
Lake Mac		307
Launceston		159
Leszno		85
Longrun Meadow		201
Medina I.O.W.		160
Mitchelton		162
Nahoon Point		521
North Beach		366
Parramatta		124
Poznan		395
Roodepoort		165
Root 44		176
Rushcliffe		232
Sandgate		270
South Bank		408
Southsea		277
St Peters		299
Szczecinek		97
Tuggeranong		138
Warwick		142
Wroclaw		61

Event		Record Attendance	Record Week
Amager Faelled		146	28/08/2010

The longest standing parkrun attendance record is:

And in the UK it's:

Hackney Marshes

21/05/2011

The highest attendance this week was exactly 1011 at Bushy parkrun.
And outside the UK it was 564 at Newy parkrun in Australia.

The lowest attendance this week was just 7 at Durham NC parkrun.

119 runners (2 more than last week) ran under 17 minutes around the world of parkrun last weekend. 15 of them under 16 minutes. And 2 runners ran under 15 minutes.

The fastest parkrunner in the world this week was Scott Westcott, running 14:23 at Newy parkrun in Australia. Interestingly, this is the new all-time parkrun record for Australia.

The all-time Australian female record was also set on the same day, with Bridey Delaney running 16:35 at Parramatta parkrun.

My favourite stat of the week was from Viv Naylor who ran 22:10 at Mansfield parkrun in the VW70-74 category, achieving an unbelievable 100.45% age grading in the process. Not too many 20 and 30 year olds can run that kind of time, so she is one very impressive lady!

parkrun stats of the week...28th September 2013

2013-10-04T18:19:00.001+01:00

The parkrun statistics of note for last weekend are:
- 310 parkrun events run (NEW RECORD - Breaking the previous record by 7 events!)
- 45,495 runners ((NEW RECORD - Breaking the previous record by over 1000 runners!)

The average number of runners per parkrun event run was: 146.7.

25 parkrun events recorded new record attendances last weekend, as follows:

Event		Record Attendance
Ally Pally		92
Antrim		176
Barnsley		150
Canning River		123
Darley		129
Doncaster		165
Fingal Bay		134
Frimley Lodge		466
Great Lines		144
Guildford		215
Hanley		104
Lake Mac		264
Leszno		77
Merimbula		59
Plymvalley		151
Roodepoort		149
Root 44		168
Sandon Point		61
Shrewsbury		265
St Annes		233
St Peters		292
Toowoomba		219
Tuggeranong		137
Voortrekker Monument		216
York		239

Event		Record Attendance	Record Week
Amager Faelled		146	28/08/2010

The longest standing parkrun attendance record is:

And in the UK it's:

Hackney Marshes

21/05/2011

The highest attendance this week was exactly 963 at Bushy parkrun.
And outside the UK it was 487 at Newy parkrun in Australia.

The lowest attendance this week was just 5 at Durham NC parkrun.

117 runners ran under 17 minutes around the world of parkrun last weekend. 19 of them under 16 minutes. And 2 Unknown ATHLETEs ran under 15 minutes at Brighton & Hove parkrun.

9 years of parkrun (birthday) growth

2013-10-02T18:19:00.001+01:00

Happy Birthday parkrun, 9 years old today. And to use the line we normally use with nine year olds...."Wow, haven't you grown!".

parkrun birthday weekends over the last 9 years have had the following turnouts:

Sat 2nd October 2004, Bushy parkrun, 13 runners

Sat 8th October 2005, Bushy parkrun, 56 runners

Sat 7th October 2006, Bushy parkrun, 378 runners

Sat 6th October 2007, 4 events, 681 runners

Sat 4th October 2008, 10 events, 1315 runners

Sat 3rd October 2009, 20 events, 2913 runners

Sat 2nd October 2010, 46 events, 5718 runners

Sat 8th October 2011, 95 events, 10179 runners

Sat 6th October 2012, 176 events, 23676 runners

Yet another example of parkrun very roughly doubling in size each and every year, both in number of events and the number of runners (since 2006 at least anyway).

And you can almost be sure that this weekend, 2013 will add a new parkrun birthday edition boasting roughly:

310 events and 45000 runners

Happy Birthday parkrun.

#loveparkrun

parkrun stats of the week...21st September 2013

2013-09-24T17:48:00.000+01:00

The parkrun statistics of note for last weekend are:
- 299 parkrun events run (breaking the previous record by 2 events!)
- 43,457 runners

The average number of runners per parkrun event run was: 145.3.

15 parkrun events recorded new record attendances last weekend, as follows:

Event		Record Attendance
Aveley		55
Canning River		119
Cheltenham		247
Corby		126
Hanley		99
Lake Mac		245
Launceston		156
Leszno		70
Little Stoke		239
Logan River		188
Szczecinek		71
Tuggeranong		134
Warszawa-Praga		217
Warwick		121
WhitleyBay		227

The longest standing parkrun attendance record is:

Event		Record Attendance	Record Week
Amager Faelled		146	28/08/2010

And in the UK it's:

Hackney Marshes

21/05/2011

The highest attendance this week was exactly 899 at Bushy parkrun.
And outside the UK it was 589 at Newy parkrun in Australia.

The lowest attendance this week was just 6 at Vejen parkrun.

94 runners ran under 17 minutes around the world of parkrun last weekend. 12 of them under 16 minutes.

The fastest parkrun time in the world this week was 15:11 by Thomas Do Canto at Bushy parkrun.

Cuerden Valley parkrun

2013-09-21T18:27:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of running the relatively new Cuerden Valley parkrun, situated a little south-west of Preston, Lancashire and very close to the M6 / M65 junction.

It had the feeling of another recent addition to the parkrun family, Kingsbury Water parkrun, in that it's in a rural setting, not too far from civilisation! Kingsbury Water parkrun is relatively flat, but Cuerden Valley does not make that mistake, opting for a tough, hilly and really enjoyable route on mixed terrain. It'll definitely be one for trail shoes as the weather gets wetter. Garmin Connect reckoned on a total ascent of 89m over the 5km but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a conservative estimate, with this elevation profile (from 49m to 80m):

Lowest elevation 49m, highest 80m, total ascent 89m.

You can see my run at Garmin Connect and read Cuerden Valley parkrun's route description at their site - essentially, there's a run in, followed by two figure of eights and an uphill struggle to the finish line, which isn't quite where the start line was.

However, I wanted to show you the route as it's a really pretty one! A few days after the I ran it therefore, I went back, camera in hand. Without the excellent marshals around, it was harder to find my way around, but I got it right in the end.

Come with me, then, on a journey through time and space. Or around Cuerden Valley's beautiful parkrun. The distances I've given are very approximate and please note you can see larger versions of all the images by clicking on them.

You can skip between each section following the nav links you'll see every so often:

Part 1 (the run in) | Part 2 (loop 1) | Part 3 (loop 2) | Part 4 (loop1 again)

Part 5 (most of loop 2 again) | Part 6 (the stagger to the line)

Part 1 - The Bit Where You Don't Run Uphill (~200m)

The route starts on an excellent path and soon snakes down a steep hill to a junction where you'll be turning left.

The route begins vaguely on the straight, but not too narrow

It's only a hundred metres or so before you snake down a fairly steep hill,
coming to cross in the path where you'll want to turn left.

Part 1 (the run in) | Part 2 (loop 1) | Part 3 (loop 2) | Part 4 (loop1 again)

Part 5 (most of loop 2 again) | Part 6 (the stagger to the line)

Part 2 - The First Loop (~1km)

You have now entered the first loop which begins in earnest with a steep climb, soon flattening off somewhat, but continuing upward more gently for a little way.

There's a short flat section before you attack the first uphill stretch

The hill bears left and flattens off a little as it carries on to the right

With the toughest part of that climb out of the way, the path opens up...

and it's well worth glancing round you as you run,
you're surrounded by beautiful, Lancashire countryside!

Take a left fork in the path and follow it as it bears further left

Take a right turn and almost immediately follow the path to the left

You'll be passing a pond to your right...

so don't miss another opportunity for some fleeting sight seeing

With heavy duty climbing out of the way for now, you'll head into the woods
with a distinct change in terrain. This is where your trail shoes will come in handy!

I hope you get as good a day as I had when I walked the route
to take these photos, the sunshine really highlights the beauty of
the place and there's something special about dappled sunlight
on the woodland floor.

As you take a right out of the woods, you'll head back towards the fork

(where you took a left a little way back). You'll be turning left, possibly
into the path of oncoming parkrunners, so do take care here.

On parkrun days this little junction is well marked and on

the second half of this loop you'll need to take this left turn.

You'll head back into the woods...

following the path which takes you generally rightwards,...

emerging near the top of the first hill you climbed,

taking the left fork when you get to the bottom.

Cross the bridge into the uncharted territory that is the Second Loop.

Part 1 (the run in) | Part 2 (loop 1) | Part 3 (loop 2) | Part 4 (loop1 again)

Part 5 (most of loop 2 again) | Part 6 (the stagger to the line)

Part 3 - The Second Loop (~1.3km)

The second loop is a little longer than the first but has a similar mix of terrain and elevation with a nice flat section, towards the end of the loop, where the route follows the river.

The second loop begins on the flat, but just as the first loop did, it soon
diverges from flatness! You need to keep left, heading up into the trees.

Another stiff climb reaches a plateau with a another sight seeing opportunity
to your left. After the little picnic area on your left, you'll need to turn right.

As I've said before, do take opportuinities to have a look round,

as Cuerden Valley is really pretty!

After the right turn, you're into the woods again. Just keep to the path

You'll soon drop down to a bridge that you'll cross, probably in single file!

I do like a nice bridge!

Keep on the path for a spell of ascent and then descent

You'll come to a T in the path where you'll be heading right.
Have a glance to the left though. Scenery awaits.

Soon enough, you'll be out in the open again and enjoying the

gentlest part of the route as the path follows the river for 500m or so.

Keep to the path, you can't miss it!

Keep to the left at the fork as you approach the bridge..

and cross it once more. You're back on charted territory.

Part 1 (the run in) | Part 2 (loop 1) | Part 3 (loop 2) | Part 4 (loop1 again)

Part 5 (most of loop 2 again) | Part 6 (the stagger to the line)

Part 4 - or Part 1, The Return of the Hill

Part 4 repeats the first loop in full but with more dread as you face the hills before you. Just remember you've been up them before and all will be well. Is that helpful? If not, remember the view you might get from the top!

Part 5 (~1km)

Part 5 repeats most of the second loop, up until the 4.5km mark, approximately, where it's all change!

Part 1 (the run in) | Part 2 (loop 1) | Part 3 (loop 2) | Part 4 (loop1 again)

Part 5 (most of loop 2 again) | Part 6 (the stagger to the line)

Part 6 (~500m)

Part 6 starts part way round your second lap of loop 2. You'll be presented with an escape route with about 500m to the finish line. Remember though that most of the last section is uphill and I think this is the longest climb of the run, so keep something back for the finish!

You may have spotted this junction part way round the second loop
when you ran round it for the first time. On your second run round,
take this left, over a different bridge.

I do like a nice bridge :-)

You're really on the home straight now

with just the small matter of a hill to climb!

The path takes you through this gulley...

which gradually opens out...

and the path widens, just in time for the...

...wait for it...

The finish line, straight ahead of you!
Your work here is done.
You've done it.
You're there.
More or less.

You're assured of a great welcome at the finish line.

Well done!!

So, that's that. I hope you enjoyed a tour around Cuerden Valley parkrun. I urge you to get there if you can.

Part 1 (the run in) | Part 2 (loop 1) | Part 3 (loop 2) | Part 4 (loop1 again)

Part 5 (most of loop 2 again) | Part 6 (the stagger to the line)

Copyright and licensing note

I've licensed all of these images under a Creative Commons license, details below. Essentially, you're welcome to use any of these images, unaltered, for non-commercial purposes if you credit me. Contact me on facebook if you have any questions.

'Photos of Cuerden Valley parkrun' by Matthew Shepherd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The parkrun tweet that made me sad

2013-09-19T17:19:00.000+01:00

A couple of days ago I read a parkrun tweet which made me just a little bit sad.

I won't name the Twitter user that made the tweet and I won't quote the tweet too accurately as I don't want anyone to feel bad about this.

The tweet went something like this....
...I overheard a woman saying to someone "my son won parkrun this weekend", and I said to her "your son didn't win parkrun, because parkrun isn't a race"

To be honest, this is correct really, parkrun isn't officially a race but was this response really necessary or helpful? That woman may have been the most proud she has ever been of her son. No good reason to dent that pride.

I'm certainly not intending to reject the content of that tweet, far from it. It's fair to say that the tweeter has only repeated what parkrun (the organisation) have said themselves. parkrun isn't officially a race. And this in itself is an excellent standpoint for parkrun (the organisation) to have. Simply by stating this, parkrun opens itself up to a far greater proportion of the public. Many people are put off by the idea of a "race", and parkrun therefore gives many more people the chance for regular exercise than any other running event or race.

So really, I'm writing this more to provoke thought and perhaps discussion. Was it really necessary for her to speak up in this way? Did it achieve anything positive? The only positive thing I can come up with is protecting a brand, but I don't think it was worth it in this case.

parkrun is fantastic for making running an inclusive event. No longer do you have to be a club runner, decent runner or anything else, in order to access regular timed, marshalled running events. The parkrun community is amazing. Many of us have made numerous friends at parkrun. parkrun has broken down so many barriers that stop many people from running or exercising in general.

Perhaps, might a better response have been "...your son does parkrun? So do I! Where does he parkrun?". That is more the kind of parkrun inclusivity that we are used to seeing from parkrunners.

So, onto my main point....parkrun is not officially a race, I've said it already, but I'm saying it again. That doesn't mean it can't be a race. A very significant part of what part IS, is that it can be whatever you want it to be....I'll say that again, as it is my main point....parkrun can be whatever you want it to be. And none of us should judge anyone else who treats parkrun differently to ourselves.

parkrun can be....a great way to start the weekend, somewhere to exercise as a family, on your own or with your friends. It can be one of many training sessions a week, it can be your only weekly, fortnightly or monthly exercise. It can be part of a longer run, a training run or speed work. It can be injury recovery, it can be race preparation. And yes, if you want it to be, you can even treat it as a race. There is one caveat to that, and that is as long as you racing it does not detrimentally affect the enjoyment of other parkrunners (other than by "beating" them) or any other park users for that matter.

Racing is not just limited to the fastest few. Their can be little races at the back of the parkrun field just as much as at the front. And so long as no one gets hurt, no problems are caused, and the aftermath is a shake of the hand, a pat on the back or a good discussion on the run and how each other did, then where is the harm in that? I don't think there is anything other than good to come from that. I have seen many "races" throughout the field at parkruns and I have never seen anything other than a positive outcome once the line has been crossed. I, for one, have parkrunners that I now count as my friends, purely and simply due to "racing" each other at parkrun before I even knew them.

On another point....
We have all lived through the last decade or more, where competition has often been considered a bad thing, particularly in our schools. I think we all know that experiencing competition is an important part of life, certainly for kids preparing for "the real world". I also believe that there is a fair chance that one (perhaps many more) of the 5 to 10 year olds that we regularly see enjoying our parkruns will one day go on to be great athletes and perhaps even Olympians. parkrun is a great way to introduce these kids to running and even running (semi-) competitively. Certainly competitively with themselves, their PB, and against the clock, so why not also against their peers? It's a great enviroment to be introduced to this, where the outcome really doesn't matter at all, except to the individual.

If you hear someone say they "won" parkrun, you may not consider it to have been a race, by they might. And as long as it hasn't done them or anyone else any harm, why not congratulate them? For all you know, it may be the only thing they have ever won and may do them more emotional good than any other achievement in their life to date. Why risk taking the shine off someone else's achievement just to say "it's not a race" for little or no benefit.

parkrun is amazing and can be anything you want it to be. That should be the message we all spread.

For me.....
This week I think my parkrun will be about sharing my love of parkrun and exercise with my 9 year old and my 5 year old as we stroll around at their pace.
Next week I will be introducing some of my childhood friends to parkrun and I think we will all be "racing" each other and the clock to some degree.
The following week I will probably be Run Directing, to put something back into our brilliant community event.

Three weeks, three different ways to treat my parkrun.

parkrun can be anything you want it to be!

parkrun stats of the week...14th September 2013

2013-09-17T18:29:00.000+01:00

The parkrun statistics of note for last weekend are:
- 296 parkrun events run (breaking the previous record by 5 events!)
- 41,066 runners

The average number of runners per parkrun event run was: 138.7.

17 parkrun events recorded new record attendances last weekend, as follows:

Event		Record Attendance
Delta		339
Dusi		178
Ebotse		184
Griffeen		133
Hilly Fields		108
Mitchelton		155
Newbury		391
North Beach		329
PE Hobie Beach		344
Roodepoort		144
Uvongo		159
Wallace		113
Warwick		104
Westport		104
Woodlands		172
Wynnum		279
Zary		80

The longest standing parkrun attendance record is:

Event		Record Attendance	Record Week
Amager Faelled		146	28/08/2010

And in the UK it's:

Hackney Marshes

21/05/2011

The highest attendance this week was exactly 803 at Bushy parkrun.

The lowest attendance this week was just 7 at both Summerfields and Vejen parkruns.

Impressively, 109 runners ran under 17 minutes around the world of parkrun last weekend. 17 of them under 16 minutes and 2 under 15 minutes. There are so pretty decent parkrunners about!

The fastest parkrun time in the world this week was 14:45 by Ian Kimpton at St Albans parkrun.

My first year running

2013-09-14T13:53:00.000+01:00

My first year running, by Stuart McNair

Today is the anniversary (well its actually tomorrow date wise) of us starting to run, a year doesn’t seem that long ago but considering what we’ve done, the new friends we’ve made and the changes in both lifestyle and fitness for us both it has turned into one of the best decisions we’ve made.

Click here to read the rest of Stuart's blog post.

My tip for a parkrun PB tomorrow

2013-09-13T18:04:00.002+01:00

This time of year is perfect for going for parkrun PBs in the UK. It's significantly cooler than it was just a few weeks ago and cooler weather allows you to push yourself a bit more without overheating as much.

This is a little tip to help you try to get a PB at parkrun tomorrow.

I have to admit that I won't be using this tip myself tomorrow, as my parkrun PB isn't within my current capabilities, but if you have been running within 30 seconds of your own parkrun PB on recent weekends, then this tip could make the difference for you. Whether you run towards the front, middle or back of the pack t parkrun, as long as there is someone quicker than you, then this simple approach could work for you.

It worked for me when I got my most recent PB. It also worked for a club mate of mine when I suggested he try it a few weeks ago.

The tip:
- If you regularly run at the same parkrun event you will probably recognise quite a few of the regular faces.
- Some of those people will be the ones that tend to beat you by 30 seconds to a minute every single week.
- The idea here is to focus purely on one of those people that you know will beat your current PB.
- Don't be too ambitious, just pick someone you know will beat your PB by 30 seconds to a minute.
- Don't worry about anything else other than sticking on the shoulder of that person for as long as possible.
- If you find that they are going too fast or too slow for your target early on (they may be trying this same technique with someone slightly faster themselves), take a look around and try to find someone else that fits your criteria and try to focus on them instead.
- You now just have to stay with them until at least half way. How hard can that be? The longer you can stay with them the better.
- Remember, you aren't likely to beat your PB by a minute, so expect that sometime in the second half that the person will start to get away from you. Just try to minimise how far they get away - keep them in sight for sure, but try to recover a little bit, saving something for a fast finish.
- When you get within the last 300 metres or so, give it everything you have left. That last minute or so can make all the difference in getting a PB. Try your best to catch up with the person you had been following, but don't expect to catch them. Tell yourself that it is only one more minute of breathlessness and a PB is well worth that discomfort.

I really hope it works for some of you. If it works for you then please do let me know through the parkrunfans blog page on Facebook, or by tweeting me (@parkrunfan).

And if it doesn't work, don't worry. One of the great things about parkrun is that there is always next week.

Good luck if you are trying to get a PB at parkrun tomorrow, but most of all enjoy trying and enjoy your parkrun.

Happy parkrunning.

*** DISCLAIMER - I don't claim to be a running expert, I'm just a parkrunner like you ***
*** If it works for just one of you, I may start to claim to be an expert! ***

2013-09-12T21:28:00.004+01:00

Boom! - Sheffield crashes through 700 runners.

7th September 2013
Concord         =    90
Graves          = 107
Hillsborough =    65
Sheff Castle   =   31
Sheff Hallam = 488

Total             = 781

The two Rotherham parkruns were cancelled and there was a smack down at Concord giving them a new attendance record. It'll be some time before we get near it again. The new parkruns in the area have done nothing to take the pressure off Hallam who just remain outside the 500 club - for now

Double bubble

2013-09-11T18:40:00.000+01:00

It has been a while since I wrote (harped on) about the parkrun doubling effect, so now must be about time.

On a few occasions in the past on this blog I have written about how parkrun seems to roughly double in size (based on various criteria) every year. Well there is good recent evidence that this growth rate is still continuing.

Roughly 9 months ago I wrote a blog post about "parkrun world domination in your lifetime". Have a quick read of that post if you have the time, as it does show that expecting parkrun to keep doubling in size forever is simply not possible (just like story of the grains of wheat on a cheeseboard did for some king whom I can't remember the name of). This growth cannot go on forever, that is unless someone uses parkrun to spread friendships beyond this planet.

I have had a quick look at recent attendances, and the equivalent date last year, and have found that for this period of the year at least attendances are still doubling in attendance numbers.

2012		2013
Date	Attendance	Date	Attendance	Growth
18th August	21,877	17th August	42,694	95%
25th August	20,113	24th August	39,042	94%
1st September	21,187	31st August	44,351	109%
8th September	24,408	7th September	44,226	82%

Firstly, of course, I must say that this is a very small sample to base statistics on. And secondly, it demonstrates that there is significant fluctuation in the figures each week of each year.

However, it certainly shows that, give or take some fluctuation, the number of people running a parkrun each week this year (over the last 4 parkrundays at least) is pretty much double the number of last year.

To make this coming parkrunday double up on the same weekend last year we need to get 47,034 of us to complete a parkrun. Let's see if we can manage that!

parkrun stats of the week...7th September 2013

2013-09-10T18:10:00.001+01:00

The parkrun statistics of note for last weekend are:
- 290 parkrun events run (Equalling the record set the previous week)
- 44,226 runners (just 125 short of the record)
- Over 400,000 different people have now run and completed at least 1 parkrun event

The average number of runners per parkrun event run was: 152.5.

39 parkrun events recorded new record attendances last weekend, as follows:

Event		Record Attendance
Abingdon		194
Castle Demense		106
Chelmsford Central		271
Concord		90
Delta		322
Ebotse		173
Gdansk		200
Greenpoint		169
Lake Mac		236
Lódz		186
Logan River		151
Maidstone		186
Modderfontein Reserve		266
Northampton		247
Oak Hill		98
PE Hobie Beach		289
Porirua		95
Porthcawl		166
Poznan		170
Roodepoort		129
Root 44		147
Rushcliffe		151
Shongweni		164
Skipton		194
South Bank		392
Southwark		150
St Albans		297
Swindon		374
Szczecinek		70
Valentines		207
Wanstead Flats		118
Warszawa-Praga		126
Warwick		98
Whitstable		182
Wimbledon Common		416
Wolverhampton		135
Woodlands		140
Worcester		307
Yeovil Montacute		152

The longest standing parkrun attendance record is:

Event		Record Attendance	Record Week
Amager Faelled		146	28/08/2010

And in the UK it's:

Hackney Marshes

21/05/2011

The highest attendance this week was exactly 1000 at Bushy parkrun.

The lowest attendance this week was just 2 at Summerfields parkrun.

A quick update on the record attendances of all parkrun events:

There are now 11 parkrun events with a record attendance over 500, with Blackbutt and Edinburgh parkruns having broken into the club during August.

A further 20 parkrun events have a record attendance over 400. And a further 17 over 300.
116 different parkrunners ran under 17 minutes this week. 9 of those ran under 16 minutes!

The fastest parkrun time in the world this week was 15:27 by Joshua Grace at Frimley Lodge parkrun.

The parkrun juggernaut

2013-09-06T17:30:00.002+01:00

Firstly, I have to start by saying sorry for a lack of posts over the last few months. I hope that there is still someone out there interested enough to read this....

My excuse is that when summer really sets in, I fully focus on outdoor things (including running of course) and I don't seem to find the time to blog (rubbish excuse?). With the Autumn rain now set-in it seems (at least it will be cooler for running!), I'm sure I will find more time to keep the parkrun stats coming again. I'm not a fair-weather runner - honestly!

So, back to the plot....

The parkrun juggernaut just keeps building speed, gaining momentum, growing and growing.

Whilst I have taken my blogging hiatus, parkrun has smashed through some impressive figures, not least:

Number of runners each week
- Over 40,000 parkrunners* took part on a single parkrunday* (* when are these words going to make it into the Dictionary I wonder?).
- The 40,000 mark was first broken on 3rd August, when 40,476 runners took part.
- Amazingly, the 40,000 runner mark, that record and each subsequent record, has been broken again on 3 of the 4 parkrundays since that weekend.
- The current record stands at 44,349, set last weekend. When I was last blogging regularly, the 40,000 runner mark was tantalisingly close for weeks on end and now in just a few short weeks, the 45,000 mark could be broken imminently. Incredible!

Total number of runs
- About 3 or 4 weeks ago, the total combined number of runs for all parkrunners broke through the 3,000,000 mark.
- With that, unsurprisingly, the total combined distance run reached the 15,000,000km mark. This is a big number, so to give some perspective, this is just over 374 laps of the earth at the equator - that would be a long, hard, hot run on your own! At average parkunner pace that would take a little over 160 years, with no breaks!
- Current runner numbers mean that we are already well on the way to 16 million kilometres, just 3 weeks later!

Number of events
- Last weekend the total number of parkrun events that have taken place passed 24,000.

Number of different parkrun events
- This is a nice little stat that I have just come across....Last weekend, Paul Freyne became the first person to have run at 150 different parkrun locations, running at the inaugural Maldon Prom parkrun event. Interestingly, Paul has run 44 inaugural parkrun events (this is also a record) and has *only* run 194 parkruns in total. Quite a high tourism ratio. Paul is surely the ultimate parkrun tourist!

And we also have a couple of significant figures approaching:

Number of different parkrunners
- Worldwide to-date, 399,659 different runners have run and completed at least one parkrun.
- If we don't break through the 400,000 different runners mark this weekend then I will be forced to go out to the hat shop and buy a hat just so that it can be mine to eat!

Number of locations
- So far 295 different locations have held a parkrun.
- With 4 new parkrun events starting this weekend we should reach 299.
- Presumably we will only have 1 more week to wait to break the 300 parkrun events mark.

I think that is probably enough parkrun stats for now. Happy parkunning everyone!

Killerton's first centurion

2013-08-31T11:56:00.002+01:00

Good number again this morning at Killerton parkrun... and most important, Maggie Hunt was the first of our number to hit the 100 run milestone. A lovely lady and a happy time in one of the most stunning places in Devon... well done to all the volunteer crew this morning too.