26/05/2022 - parkrunday!


Fasten your seatbelts, there’s a whole month of parkrun antics to bring you, but we’ll start at the start with the first parkrunday of May.

Whilst we normally start at our home of Conkers, for this report we take you to the home of parkrun at Bushy Park, where it all began on the 2 October 2004. Back then it was known as the Bushy Park Time Trail, and those 13 runners, ably led by founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt, had no idea that what they were starting would one day be a global phenomenon.

Helen Finn and James Cox completed their pilgrimage alongside a whopping 1179 other runners and a mighty 61 volunteers for their 875th event.

At our home round the Conkers trails, 24 Ivanhoes started their weekend with a 5K, led home by Tom Potter who collected the number three token and bagging himself a personal best round the course in the process of 17:01, also equaling his all-time PB. Pretty impressive on the new course, infamously known as being more difficult (and dare I say longer!).

Jenny Hope checked out new local event, Hastings High School in Burbage, turning up for their 7th run where they celebrated in James Bond style, and were also joined on the morning by With Me Now podcast host Danny Norman.

Trying out other local events were Kevin, Judith and Sally at Rosliston, Bob White was at Watermead, and Laura, Chris and Carolyn had a go round Dishley in Loughborough.

Further afield, Karl and Emily Wideman tried Brighouse parkrun out for size, a flat three lap course at Wellhome Park, north of Huddersfield. Fabulous to see Karl coming back into fine form with a 19:17 clocking, and Emily showing all the ladies how it’s done in first female position with a super 21:12. Sticking with the Emily’s, and the Partridge variety headed to the beautiful woodland course at Delamere for her 122nd different event.

Written by Emily Partridge - last updated on 24/09/2022