It was a chilly and damp morning at Frenchfield for the Penrith Parkrun experience on Saturday December 4 but that didn’t deter 159 walkers, joggers and runners who tackled the 5k course supported by a team of 32 volunteers making the event possible.
Event number 329 saw 11 first timers and 15 new personal bests recorded; 12 clubs were also represented. Among the runners this Alex Weir reached his 50th Parkrun, congratulations.
On a cold wet morning I asked regular Parkrunner Paul McKeown who was completing his 147th Parkrun, what motivated him to make the trip to Frenchfield on a Saturday morning.
Paul explained that Parkrun had helped him to return to running after a long lay off from the sport. Paul also values the opportunity to see friends and feels that Parkrun is a good start to the weekend.
Parkrun events are only able to go ahead with the help of volunteers. If running or walking isn’t for you there are a large range of volunteer roles available which include being up front or working behind the scenes.
I had a go at delivering the run briefing for the first time this morning. I was very nervous beforehand but when it came to it I did enjoy it and hope to be invited back for more practice.
For something less upfront writing the run report is also a volunteer role. If you’re interested contact your local Parkrun and try some different roles to see which works for you.
Penrith Parkrun takes place at Frenchfield Sports Centre which is widely used by the community and other sports clubs during the week.
Over the course of this weekend an initiative to plant 400 trees is taking place at the site. I spoke to a member of PACT (Penrith Action for Community Transition) who explained that they are a small environment group who have been in operation for 15 years and had secured agreement form Eden District Council to plant the trees.
The trees will be panted in three locations on the site by a team of volunteers including members of Eden Runners, Eden Valley Mountaineering, local schools and members of the community. This initiative will improve the tree cover in Penrith and benefit biodiversity.
