Parkrun has now become a global phenomenon

Saturday, February 9, 2019

From 13 runners meeting in Bushy Park, south-west London, in 2004, to five million members worldwide in 2018, parkrun has turned out to be a global phenomenon. There are now more than 1,700 of the free, weekly running events in 23 countries, and the numbers are continuously on the rise. There’s an increasing number of “parkrun tourists”, who plan trips in unusual and spectacular routes from Singapore to South Africa.

There are many unofficial clubs for parkruns. Now tour operators are also getting in on the action.

All parkrun events, which are managed by volunteers, adhere to the original aim of being free and inclusive. “Unlike traditional running events that may require pre-registration, entry fees and cut-off times, at parkrun it is free to participate and speed is not important,” said Chrissie Wellington, head of health and wellbeing at Parkrun.

Wellington added, “The popularity continues to grow by empowering local communities to implement a permanent mixed-gender, multi-generational health intervention that appeals to a broad cross-section of society. Particularly those for whom physical activity and volunteering is not the norm.”

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