Do you know about parkrun?
Do you know about parkrun?
I first heard about it in 2022 from my teacher and now coworker RC, and it's my turn to tell you about it. A parkrun is a weekly 5k community run organized by volunteers all across the world:
It actually is across the world, but not in every country yet. 65 events in Canada at the time of writing.
It's a simple idea, people get up on Saturdays and go to these events to walk, jog and run. Participants of all ages1 and skill levels show up, and it's free every weekend! What's even more awesome, is that you get a chip at the end of the run that keeps your run results. People can see which parkruns they've done over time and a bunch of other really cool stats.
Parkrun's official app, but there are more apps made by enthusiasts.
While I was in Vancouver, I went on all the Saturdays during my trip. It was a great way to make friends, meet like-minded people, meet travellers from all over the world, challenge myself and have fun2. Lots of people travel around the world and go to different parkruns - this is known as parkrun tourism.
Central Park in Burnaby
While I am not parkrunning every weekend, I wish I could. I would love to see more events and the community grow across Ontario and Canada, so that there's a parkrun in every city (that wants one). And the only way this grows is if you tell people about it. Parkrun is a simple idea, but it takes volunteers and runners to show up each week.
So far, I was able to convince friends and family to join a few times, and I think they liked it. Parkrunners are a social group and most events go and grab coffee afterwards - perhaps this is the whole point of running together. If you ever see me in Downsview parkrun, please say come hi.
Maybe you can also find out if there's one close to you as well. And if you were waiting for a sign to start/get back into running, this is it. It's a great way to enjoy the outdoors, make new friends and get in shape. I know I did :)