 | |
.jpg) Runners atBushy Parkrun, the first Parkrun location | |
| Predecessor | Bushy Park Time Trial UK Time Trial |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2 October 2004; 21 years ago (2004-10-02) |
| Founder | Paul Sinton-Hewitt |
| Headquarters | Richmond, London |
| Services | Global provision of weekly, timed 5km running events |
| Membership | Total individual runners (October 2019): 6,301,016 |
Key people | Paul Sinton-Hewitt |
| Volunteers | Total individual volunteers (September 2019): 515,283 |
| Website | www |
Parkrun (stylised asparkrun) is a collection of5-kilometre (3.1 mi) events for runners, walkers and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across five continents.
Parkrun was founded byPaul Sinton-Hewitt on 2 October 2004 atBushy Park in London, England. The event was originally called theBushy Park Time Trial. It grew into a network of similar events called the UK Time Trials, before adopting the name Parkrun in 2008 and expanding into other countries. The first event outside the United Kingdom was launched inZimbabwe in 2008,[1] followed byDenmark in 2009,South Africa andAustralia in 2011 and theUnited States in 2012. Sinton-Hewitt was appointedCBE for his services to grassroots sport in 2014. By October 2018 over 5 million runners were registered worldwide, now over 10 million.
Events take place at a range of general locations including parks, stately homes, forests, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, beaches, promenades, prisons and nature reserves. A Parkrun milestone T-shirt is offered for purchase to volunteers and runners who have participated in a specific number of runs or events. Runners can travel to and complete any Parkrun other than those on closed sites, such as prisons and military bases.
Parkrun was founded byPaul Sinton-Hewitt on 2 October 2004 atBushy Park in London, England.[2] Sinton-Hewitt was born inZimbabwe and went toPotchefstroom High School for Boys in South Africa as a boarder.[3] He became aclub runner with a personal best marathon time of 2 hours and 36 minutes.[4] In 2004, Sinton-Hewitt was suffering fromdepression and unable to run due to an injury. He founded Parkrun because he wanted to continue to spend time with his running friends.[3] In aBBC Radio 4 interview he said that the idea for Parkrun came from his time in South Africa 20 years earlier where he had experienced competitive races that took place on the same course at the same time each week.[5] The first event took place at Bushy Park, had 13 runners and three volunteers, and was managed by Sinton-Hewitt himself.
TheBushy Parkrun was originally known as the Bushy Park Time Trial. Its results were timed with astopwatch and recorded on paper;washers, each one stamped with a finish number, were used as finishing tokens.[6][7] Over the next two years, the event took place every week with the number of participants and volunteers growing, and with new technology introduced to streamline the processing of results. The second Time Trial was launched atWimbledon Common in 2007; it was here that the model of having an identical structure at different locations began.[6] That year saw a further six events established.[8] They were initially known as UK Time Trials before the "parkrun" name was adopted. Five more locations were added in 2008, including the first Parkruns inScotland and inWales.[9]
The first event outside the UK was launched inZimbabwe in 2008, though this event no longer operates.[1] The longest-running Parkrun outside the UK was launched inDenmark in 2009. In 2010, there were 30 new events added including the first inNorthern Ireland.[6] In 2011 parkrun began inSouth Africa andAustralia, both of which have seen significant growth in event numbers, and in 2012 Parkrun USA launched. Junior Parkrun started at Bushy Park in 2013.[6] Sinton-Hewitt was appointedCBE in 2014 for his "services to grassroots sport".[10]
By 2015, more than 80,000 people were gathering in parks across the world each week to run, jog and walk a Parkrun – more than twice the number who take part in the annualLondon Marathon.[11] In 2016, 1.1 million different people completed a Parkrun and 142,000 people volunteered.[12]
In 2017 "Parkrun Global Limited", the organisation which supports global Parkrun events, became a UK registeredcharity.[13]
By 2018, approximately a quarter of a million runners took part weekly in 1,500 events, spread over 20 countries.[14] Parkrun events were closed from March 2020 due to the globalCOVID-19 pandemic.[15] They resumed in England on 24 July 2021.[16]
Permanent event closures are rare.Zimbabwe was the first country to host a Parkrun outside the UK; the event started in 2007 but closed several years later.[when?] Parkrun Elliðaárdalur closed in 2012 due to operational difficulties in the winter, and Hillerød Parkrun in Denmark closed in 2013.Camp Bastion Parkrun was hosted at a military base inAfghanistan, which shut in 2014. More frequently, Parkruns have formally closed at a location, but have relocated to a venue nearby and changed name,[17] such as when changes to the layout of the adjacent car park byEast Lindsey District Council cut the course in half, forcing the closure of the Parkrun.[citation needed]
In 2022, due towar invasion, Parkrun banned its website for users fromRussia and ended support for all its events there. The local running Parkrun community separated from the international community and continued weekly events at the same venues under the local brand "5 вёрст" ("5 versts").[18]
In 2022 Parkrun changed its rules to ban dogs running with owners where a waist-harness was used; participation was instead restricted to running with one dog on a short, hand-held lead. This was due to research that showed that where participants use waist harnesses, there was an "increased risk of serious incidents, particularly trips and falls, compared to when using handheld leads." A spokesperson said "More than 10% of incidents at Parkrun events involve dogs, and as such we have spent significant time considering the nature, frequency, and severity of dog-related incidents."[19]
In 2024, statistics were removed from the Parkrun website, including course records, most first finishes, sub-17 minute men and sub-20 minute women, age grade records and category records. In a statement to theBBC, Parkrun stated that this was as a result of investigations by a global working group looking at how their events could be less "off-putting" to potential participants. Parkrun also stated "[we have] spent many months now making detailed investigations and recommendations. What was clear is that there was a disconnect between the performance data displayed so prominently on the site, and our mission to create opportunities for as many people as possible to take part in parkrun events – especially those who are anxious about activities such as parkrun, but who potentially have an enormous amount to gain."[20] A petition was created onChange.org that called for the changes to be reversed, on the basis that they provide "motivation and inspiration" to participants.[21][22]
All Parkruns are 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) in length and are free to enter.[23] Anyone can take part, including walkers as well as runners. Participants include parents with their children, pensioners, people with their dogs, wheelchair users, people pushingprams, and club and casual runners, although not all courses are suitable for all participants.[24] Beginner runners, older adults and overweight people are common.[25] Visually impaired runners and walkers are also able to participate, with the aid of trained guides.[26][27]
They usually take place at the same time, at the same place, on the same course, once per week. There is no formal procedure before the run, with participants asked to arrive shortly before the start time and wait near the starting line.[28] A run director will make announcements giving safety instructions and community news before beginning the run.[29] Participants run or walk the course and are directed by marshals along the correct route to the finish line.[30] As each runner enters the finish funnel, a volunteer records their finishing place and time. The results are uploaded to the Parkrun website, which also generates a number of statistics.[31] The results available are: finishing position for both male and female runners, finish time, whether a personal best time has been achieved, the total number of runs completed by an individual, their age grade result and their position in relation to other veteran or junior runners.[32]
To have a time recorded, runners are asked to register on the Parkrun website, print out a personal ID that includes abarcode and bring it to each event. Alternatively, they can download the barcode or QR code to a phone app or fitness or smart watch. Registration needs to be done just once, with the barcode valid for any subsequent Parkrun in the world.[33][34][35] Runners can still participate without registering, or if they forget to bring their personal barcode, but they will not have their time or participation recorded. If the runner does not have a barcode, their position on the finishers table will be recorded with the name "unknown" and no time. After passing the finish line, each runner is handed a "finish token" corresponding to their position. This is later scanned alongside their personal barcode, if they have one, to link their result with their Parkrun profile.[31]
The Daily Telegraph reported that "what's clever is that it's not a race against everyone else but a timed run", and that trying to improve your personal best time is a great incentive even for slower runners.[24] The paper further explained that the success of the events is down to them being free and weekly, because it allows people to get into a routine.[36]
An article inThe Daily Telegraph said that a drop ingym usage can be attributed to a backlash against gym membership fees combined with the popularity of events such as Parkrun andfitness tracking devices.[37]
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Events take place in a range of locations and are not restricted to parks. Venues includecity parks,country parks,national parks, the grounds ofstately homes, castles, forests, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, beaches,promenades, prisons, racecourses andnature reserves. The runs have different degrees of difficulty, with hilly runs harder to complete than those that are flat. The running surface varies, with many city park Parkruns being run ontarmac footpaths, closed roads, grass or a mixture of all three, while forest and country park Parkruns are more likely to be ontrails. Runs that take place in hotter countries often start early in the morning to avoid excess heat.
Each Parkrun event is run entirely byvolunteers, who are integral to its not-for-profit status.[38] There are several different volunteer roles at each Parkrun event.[39] Every event has a "volunteer" web page, with the same basic information about how to get involved as a volunteer, as well as crediting those who have made the effort in the most recent week.[40] At the outset of Parkrun, the central organisation sought to simplify the volunteering process to allow new events to be set up with a low number of volunteers; this simplification now allows new volunteers to assist with minimal training.[41]
Each event has a core team, who has received sanction from Parkrun HQ and the location owner to stage the event. The individual roles are typically filled by different volunteers each week and include: a run director who manages the event, making announcements and starting the run; course safety checkers; timekeepers; marshals; barcode scanners who scan finishing tokens; event setup and close down volunteers;pacers and tail walkers.[42]
According to Steve Flowers at theUniversity of Kent's business school, Parkrun is an example, along with Wikipedia, of what he calls "people's innovation", whichThe Guardian explains as being "driven by users rather than producers, by volunteers rather than professionals".[43] Volunteer roles such as timekeeping and barcode scanning use a free, downloadable app to assist with the data collection and compilation.[44]
Several surveys and academic studies have shown a net beneficial effect on health and wellbeing experienced among those who volunteer regularly at Parkruns.[45][46][47]
Junior Parkrun (stylised asjunior parkrun) is a spin-off event that provides a 2 kilometres (1+1⁄4 miles) event for children aged 4–14, held on Sunday mornings. Parents and guardians are allowed to run with their children but are not eligible for a placed finish. Dogs can be brought to the event but are not allowed to run with their owners, and you are also not allowed to volunteer with a dog.[48] Juniors who have completed 11, 21, 50, 100 or 250 junior runs are awarded a coloured wristband.[49]
Junior Parkrun takes place on Sunday mornings. When it was first launched, it was run monthly, on the first Sunday of every month; most events now take place weekly.[50]
The number of runs by each participant at all events is posted on the Parkrun website. "Milestone clubs" are available when a runner has completed a sufficient number of events; milestones are available at 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500 runs, and members can, if they so wish, order a colour-coded t-shirt to commemorate their achievement. The t-shirts are coloured purple, red, black, green and blue, respectively.[citation needed]
Juniors – those under the age of 18 – can claim a white T-shirt when they complete 10 runs, and there is a purple t-shirt for people who volunteer 25 times.[51] The milestone and volunteer t-shirts were free until September 2021, at which point they became chargeable. At this time, additional volunteer t-shirts were introduced, to align with the milestone t-shirts: 25 (purple), 50 (red), 100 (black), 250 (green), 500 (blue) and 1000 (yellow).[citation needed]
Runners, when they sign up on the Parkrun website, are asked to pick a "home Parkrun", usually the one they live closest to and are likely to frequent most. Parkrun tourists are broadly defined as anyone travelling to a run that is not their home Parkrun. Tourism can involve running in a neighbouring park, town, region or even country with some runners travelling to a different run every week.[52][53][54]
Parkrun challenges involve completing a number of different runs in a particular way which are personally meaningful but not officially recorded. These include "Londone" which is completing all of the Parkruns inLondon.[55] The "alphabeteer" is running a Parkrun beginning with each letter of the alphabet[56] and light-hearted challenges such as theBee Gees-themed "Stayin' Alive" which is completing three runs beginning with B and three beginning with G.[57] AGoogle Chrome andFirefox extension details further challenges such as "Groundhog Day" which is running the same time at the same Parkrun location in two consecutive weeks and "Regionnaire" which is to complete all of the Parkruns in any region.[58]
Parkrun events are free of charge to participants and run principally by volunteers. Parkrun income comes from sponsorship and grants, with commercial income from apparel, wristbands, and accessories. Parkrun Global Limited receives all funds; it is a registered charity in England and Wales and in 2022 it reported income of £5.5m with expenditure of £4.3m.[66]
A 2013 article inThe Guardian noted the rapid growth of Parkrun and suggested this was mainly due to its simplicity and accessibility: runners register online once, turn up at any event, and run.[8] Inclusivity is also a factor,[67] as participants have a wide range of running abilities, from fastclub runners to those walking, a wide range of ages from children running with their parents to the elderly; also allowed are wheelchair users, those pushingbuggies and people running with their dogs.
Commenting inThe Independent in 2018, chief sports writerJonathan Liew said: "parkrun is not simply one of the biggest sporting events in the world, but one of the most important, largely because it entirely upends what we have long been told sport is about."[14] He discusses how sport has become ever more something the public pay to watch, packaged ever more expensively, with the sports people's lives tipping over intolight entertainment, concluding: "parkrun offers something entirely different: community, opportunity, the outdoors, the simple pleasure of sport and people. In so doing, it has resurrected a vision of sport that has been in recession for a generation."[14]
TheJournal of Public Health reported in a 2013 study of 7,308 Parkrun participants that the events attracted people who described themselves as non-runners, with women, older adults and overweight people well represented. It added that participation problems have been minimized, with no upper age limit, no special equipment and no cost. And while some participants ran before a Parkrun, some are new to exercise, and Parkrun offered the opportunity and support to become active on a continuous weekly basis.[25]
A 2015 qualitative study by theUniversity of Loughborough found that runners attending a Parkrun for the first time were typically motivated forweight loss or an improvement in theirphysical fitness.[68] On the other hand, there were a range of motivations for runners to continue regularly taking part, with runners wanting to beat theirpersonal record time, reach a certain number of runs and join a milestone club, enjoy being outdoors, make new friends through volunteering, and meet up with existing friends or family.[68]
Parkrun endeavours to promote health and wellbeing through a number of initiatives. Its mission statement is "a healthier and happier planet".[69][70] In the UK, Parkrun has partnered with theRoyal College of General Practitioners in order to promote healthy living through increased physical activity, socialisation and mutual support.[71][72]
In Ireland, the long-runningOperation Transformation TV show has partnered with Parkrun on several occasions, encouraging viewers to join local Parkruns that held special Couch-to-5k programmes to coincide with the series.[73]
Most events are run with the support and sometimes the sponsorship of local authorities. A notable conflict occurred at Little Stoke Parkrun. Parkrun does not set up events where charges would apply to the organisers or runners.[11] Little Stoke Parkrun had begun with the council's permission in November 2012.[74] In April 2016 the responsibleparish council inStoke Gifford, Bristol, England, voted to charge runners a fee to participate.[75] Despite an online petition and support from the Minister for Sport, the council would not change its decision, so the Parkrun was permanently cancelled.[76] In April 2017 the British Government proposed that, in future, local councils in England would not be allowed to charge for Parkruns in a public park.[77]
The first Australian Parkrun event was held atMain Beach, on the Gold Coast, on 2 April 2011.[78]ABC News, remarking on Parkrun Australia, said "there are competitive runners aiming to win but there are just as many people running for the fun of it. If people want to race each other, that's fine, they can, but if you want to walk that is fine too. Everyone is welcome, from kids to grandparents, it's one of the few sporting events that a family can do together."[79] The 1,000,000th runner completed Parkrun in Australia in January 2024.[80]
The first three Parkruns in Germany were Georgengarten parkrun inHannover, Küchenholz parkrun inLeipzig and Neckarau parkrun inMannheim, when they all hosted their first event on 2 December 2017. When Aachener Weiher parkrun started inCologne, it became the first parkrun in the alphabetical list of all parkruns.
The first run in Ireland was atMalahide Castle to the north of Dublin on 10 November 2012. The rollout of Parkruns in Ireland was assisted by funding from the government'sDepartment of Health with the aim of empowering local communities and encouraging individuals and families to lead active lives. The record attendance was at St Anne's Parkrun on 30 September 2023, when there were 911 runners.[81]
Parkrun was introduced toJapan on 6 April 2019, by theFutako-Tamagawa Parkrun event inTokyo. There are now 24 events held every Saturday morning in Japan.[82]
The most recent country to host Parkrun events is Lithuania, with the launch of ParkrunVingis in Vilnius, on September 21, 2024, with 223 participants in attendance.
The first event was atLower Hutt on 5 May 2012.[83] Cornwall Parkrun in Auckland started on 28 July 2012. As of December 2024, there were 56 Parkrun events around the country taking place every weekend, with more locations being added all of the time.
The first Polish Parkrun took place inGdynia on 15 Oct 2011. Poland has the first Parkrun to cross the border of another country:Cieszyn Parkrun starts inPoland but crosses into theCzech Republic before returning to Poland.[84] The record attendance was atTczew Parkrun on 13 May 2023 when there were 1774 runners.[85]
Parkrun in Russia began simultaneously at Kolomenskoe Parkrun and Severnoe Tushino Parkrun on 1 March 2014.[86] Parkrun Yakutsk Dohsun took place inYakutsk, which has an average daily temperature of −8.8 °C (16.2 °F).[87]
All Parkrun events in Russia are currently cancelled due to the ongoingRussian invasion of Ukraine.[88]
Parkrun South Africa was started and promoted by ultramarathonerBruce Fordyce.[89] The first Parkrun took place atDelta Park in Johannesburg on 12 November 2011 and had 26 participants. It is now one of the larger Parkruns, regularly drawing up to 1200 runners and attracting tourists as the first one in the nation.[90] The world record attendance was at North Beach,Durban, which saw 2527 runners on 20 January 2018.[91]
The first parkrun event in the United States was inLivonia, Michigan on 2 June 2012.[92] As of 18 November 2025[update] there are 96 active events.[93]
There are festive and special events which do not necessarily occur on a Saturday. Each country chooses its own special event days, which are held optionally by local Parkrun teams – i.e., they will not be run at every Parkrun location. Generally, where such special events are held, they are Parkruns on Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and/or national holidays in their respective countries.[94]
Parkrun is held in 26 of the 28 different countries and territories listed below as of 31 May 2025.
| Country or territory | No. of locations | Cite | First event name | First event location | First event date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 United Kingdom | 871 | [95][a] | Bushy Parkrun | London | 2 October 2004 |
 Australia | 525 | [96] | Main Beach Parkrun | Gold Coast | 2 April 2011 |
 South Africa | 224 | [97][b] | Delta Parkrun | Johannesburg | 12 November 2011 |
 Ireland | 113 | [98] | Malahide Parkrun | Dublin | 10 November 2012 |
 Poland | 102 | [99][c] | Gdynia Parkrun | Gdynia | 15 October 2011 |
 United States | 96 | [93] | Livonia Parkrun | Livonia | 2 June 2012 |
 Germany | 66 | [100] | Georgengarten, Küchenholz, Neckarau[d] | Hannover,Leipzig,Mannheim | 2 December 2017 |
 New Zealand | 64 | [101] | Lower Hutt Parkrun | Lower Hutt | 5 May 2012 |
 Canada | 57 | [102] | Okanagan Parkrun | Kelowna | 20 August 2016 |
 Japan | 45 | [103] | Futakotamagawa Parkrun | Tokyo | 6 April 2019 |
 Netherlands | 25 | [104] | 6 locations[e] | Parkruns at six locations[f] | 29 February 2020 |
 Italy | 15 | [105] | Uditore Parkrun | Palermo | 23 May 2015 |
 Sweden | 12 | [106] | Haga Parkrun | Stockholm | 27 August 2016 |
 Norway | 12 | [107] | Tøyen Parkrun | Oslo | 26 August 2017 |
 Denmark | 11 | [108] | Amager Fælled Parkrun | Copenhagen | 16 May 2009 |
 France ‡ | 8 | [109][110] | Les Dougnes Parkrun | Cubnezais | 6 May 2015 |
 Finland | 8 | [111] | Tampere Parkrun | Tampere | 14 October 2017 |
 Austria | 5 | [112] | Hellbrunn Parkrun | Salzburg | 14 August 2021 |
 Singapore | 5 | [113] | East Coast Park Parkrun | Singapore | 21 June 2014 |
 Namibia | 3 | [97] | Swakopmund Parkrun | Swakopmund | 8 April 2017 |
 Eswatini | 2 | [97] | Mbabane Parkrun | Mbabane | 6 May 2017 |
 Malaysia | 1 | [114] | Taman Pudu Ulu Parkrun | Kuala Lumpur | 14 April 2018 |
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia | 1 | [95][115] [g] | Akrotiri Parkrun | Akrotiri and Dhekelia | 8 January 2022 |
 Falkland Islands | 1 | [95][116] [h] | Cape Pembroke Lighthouse Parkrun | Stanley | 26 October 2019 |
 Guernsey | 1 | [95][117] | Guernsey Parkrun | L'Ancresse | 9 April 2016 |
 Isle of Man | 1 | [95][118] | Nobles Parkrun | Douglas | 21 October 2017 |
 Jersey | 1 | [95][119] | Jersey Parkrun | Saint Brelade | 26 September 2015 |
 Lithuania | 3 | [120] | Vingis Parkrun | Vilnius | 21 September 2024 |
Some nations' Parkrun events are suspended:
‡ Parkrun events in France were suspended from July 2022 due to legal issues regarding medical certification.[121]
¶ Parkrun events in Russia were suspended from March 2022 due to theRussian invasion of Ukraine. Parkrun CEO Russ Jefferys explained the suspension, saying the war "directly conflicts with our charitable objective of promoting health and happiness across the world" and that Parkrun volunteers "should not be put in a position in which they are forced to justify why parkrun events remain open or have to explain their personal politics in a country where that would put them at risk".[88]
The following table lists countries which host junior Parkrun as of 16 August 2025:
| Country | No. of locations | Cite | First event name | First event location | First event date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 478 | [122] | Bushy Juniors Parkrun | London | 1 April 2010 |
| Ireland | 42 | [122] | Rush Junior Parkrun | Dublin | 13 December 2015 |
| Australia | 5 | [122] | Southport Junior Parkrun | Southport | 22 April 2018 |
| Jersey | 1 | [95][123] | Waterfront junior parkrun | Saint Helier | 21 July 2019 |
