Actually, this isn't the perfect song for a running blog, because whatever the good folk of Blur might think, it really is all about you joggers who go round and round and round. Obviously, I prefer to think of myself as a highly-tuned athlete rather than a jogger, but I can't deny that going round and round and round a park has become a significant part of my life. Parklife, even.
parkrun has to count as the most important spur to my running, both in getting me going to begin with, and in keeping me motivated from there on in. Every runner should try it. If you aren’t blown away by both the concept and the reality, then you’re a poor thing indeed.
I heard about parkrun by accident, from a friend who single-handedly keeps our house functioning. Not content with doing all our joinery, plumbing, electricity and general repairs, Andy Scott is also our running guru. So when he said, a couple of years ago; “there’s a free timed run every Saturday on Woodhouse Moor, you should give it a go”, we knew that we had to join up.
And we’ve never looked back. We now run it pretty much every week, even though I personally detest 5k as a distance, and we often volunteer. I’ve even been known to do a bit of event directing. I like to think it will stand me in good stead for the time when Hyde Park Harriers takes the next step, and organises a club race.
So, this instalment is dedicated to Paul Sinton-Hewitt, who founded parkrun, and all the volunteers who work tirelessly to deliver a free, community-based event at parks across the UK , Denmark
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