This was a special one – the 400th Penrith parkrun with 330 runners and walkers turning up to celebrate! The weather was kind; overcast but calm and no sign of rain.
It seemed appropriate to seek out anyone who had been at the very first one in 2014 on February 8 when 116 took part. One of those was Julia King who remembers it as being a very cold morning.
The course was slightly different then and extremely muddy, more like a cross country run with, at one point, a section that became affectionately known as the U-bend!
Doug Huggon with Ian Parker were event directors on the day. Ian wasn’t there on Saturday but his dad, Mike, was as he was in 2014. He was marshalling in his usual position at the back of the football pitch giving encouragement to all who passed him.
Andrew Richardson is another who was at the first one. He‘s now the main man for the pre-run briefing which he did today in his usual inimitable fashion.
Roy Bottomley remembers run number one very well. He hadn’t been on a run for at least 25 years and nearly went home under the impression it was for keen runners only.
He was quickly assured that it was for everyone and he’s turned up on every available Saturday since. “Long live parkrun,” he says!
Others who have participated in both numbers one and 400, and many in between, are Tony Lowery, Andrew Walker and Dave Peacock.
One couple who were here for the first time were Alan and Rosanne Nutt. They’d read that it was the 400th and had travelled all the way from Falkirk to be a part of it. Perhaps their main reason for coming was to enjoy the delicious cakes on offer at the end of the run.
A thank you must go to the many volunteers who, as always, are essential to ensuring parkruns can happen. It was Ann Lanigan’s 50th time as a volunteer. She fills in wherever she is needed and this was her turn to be a bar code scanner welcoming everyone home.
Steve Rankin was first home today in a time of 18:17; Elizabeth Kerr was first lady in 20:15.
The parkrun is for people of all abilities, speed merchants and walkers alike.
For the full results and to find out more, visit the website www.parkrun.org.uk/penrith, the Facebook page or email [email protected].
