Parkrun celebrates 20 years of boosting health and happiness across the UK
This week marks the 20th anniversary of parkrun, an event that has been successful in its aim to promote health and happiness, according to recent research. The first parkrun took place on Saturday, October 2, 2004, when 13 runners participated in a free timed 5k run at Bushy Park in south-west London.
This was organised by Paul Sinton-Hewitt, a runner who was recovering from an injury at the time. What began as the Bushy Park Time Trial has evolved into parkrun, a weekly event that takes place at over 2,500 locations worldwide.
Participants can walk, run or volunteer, and there is also a 2k junior parkrun for children aged four to 14 every Sunday in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. Every Saturday, around 200,000 people participate across more than 900 locations in the UK.
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While some are seasoned runners, others are working on their speed and stamina, and many are taking their first steps towards a more active lifestyle. Nearly 2,000 GP practices globally are partnered with their local event, and social prescribing has led to parkrun being recommended to individuals with conditions such as anxiety, depression, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, heart conditions, and cancer.
A study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield found that life satisfaction increased after participating in just two parkruns. This year, over 45,000 people who registered for parkrun in the UK identified themselves as completely inactive prior to signing up.
Professor Steve Haake, from Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, who spearheaded the research, highlighted that while those who are least active see the most significant benefits from participating, it's not solely completing the 5k that matters; volunteering also boosts wellbeing. He explained that using the UK Office of National Statistics method for gauging wellbeing on a scale from zero to 10, where 10 is optimal, the study found life satisfaction rose by 0.26, from 7.49 to 7.75, among parkrun participants, elevating them from below to above the UK average.
Professor Haake noted the social aspect of parkrun, where people often gather with friends before and after the event and build casual relationships with regular attendees, sharing a common interest. "You see your friends, then you run, then you have a cake and chat. For a lot of people, that’s what makes it," he said.
Having been involved in parkrun since 2010 and researching its effects since around 2015, Professor Haake shared with the PA news agency some powerful testimonials: "People say parkrun saved my life."
He described the profound impact, recalling an individual with depression who had "bad thoughts" on their way to parkrun but felt relieved after participating. "Then there are people who say they met their life partner there," he continued.
He also mentioned older individuals who, having lost their partners, now enjoy meeting their grandchildren at parkrun, calling it the highlight of their week.
Since taking the helm as parkrun's CEO in February 2022, Russ Jefferys, who has been involved with parkrun since 2011 and a staff member since 2015, regularly hears life-changing stories. He speaks of parkrun as "a very supportive low pressure community where the time that you take doesn’t matter", emphasising its focus on being social and enjoying the outdoors.
His vision includes using parkrun as a means to mitigate health issues, suggesting it might alleviate NHS pressures by reducing the need for medical interventions. "We are thinking about supporting people’s health in a sustainable way. The current system is clearly broken," he explained.
Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, a Leamington Spa GP and the Royal College of General Practitioners’ physical activity lead, praised the partnership between GPs and parkrun: "It’s excellent that a third of all GP practices in the UK have signed up to our initiative with parkrun UK, encouraging patients and staff to take part in local parkrun events and pursue a healthier lifestyle, since we started collaborating six years ago."
He added that advising patients to join parkrun events, where safe, could enhance fitness and overall health, while potentially staving off severe health conditions.
"The link between physical activity and health – both physical and mental – is well established, and those who do regular physical movement have a lower risk of developing a range of potentially serious conditions including obesity, diabetes, high-blood pressure, cardiovascular disease; even dementia or neurodegenerative diseases."
"Volunteering at parkrun not only fosters a sense of community, but also promotes mental wellbeing, reduces stress, and encourages physical activity, contributing to overall better health."
"I was first introduced to parkrun when I was struggling with my own weight, and found the community focused and inclusive experience transformative."
"I formed friendships with like minded people, which was highly motivating and over the subsequent 10 years have transformed my health and life."
Parkruns are now also held in prisons and young offender institutions, reaching "some of the most disadvantaged people in the community", according to Mr Jefferys. He mentioned that some prisoners join local parkruns upon their release, creating a bridge from their life inside to a new life outside prison.
"Our hope is we can reduce the rates of reoffending," he said.
Prof Haake stated that parkrun creates common ground between prisoners and those outside: "It’s one of the only things you can do in prison at the same time as someone outside prison."
Since HMP Haverigg in Cumbria hosted the first parkrun event in a prison in 2017, more than 10,000 prisoners have participated across the country.
Lord James Timpson, minister for prisons, probation and reducing reoffending, has praised the impact of sport on rehabilitation, saying: "Sport can play a powerful role in rehabilitating offenders and I’ve seen first-hand the value of schemes like parkrun, with more than 10,000 prisoners having benefited from it so far."
He added, "It is a fantastic example of how community schemes such as these can benefit both those inside and outside of the prison gates."
Prof Haake highlighted the economic benefits of parkrun, stating that according to the UK Treasury’s approach to the valuation of wellbeing, the life satisfaction increase for parkrun was estimated as at least £667 million a year to the UK economy. Further analysis revealed that for every £1 spent on parkrun, at least £16.70 is returned in benefits to the UK, including £10 in healthcare benefits.
Prof Haake remarked: "In the current environment where funding is scarce, our research shows that initiatives like parkrun can be cost-effective."
Parkrun, now a UK based global charity with nearly 70 employees and an annual turnover around £10 million, plans to continue its growth. Mr Jefferys outlined the future strategy, saying: "There is still huge demand for more events."
He explained that the cost is approximately £83 per event per week, which is kept low due to volunteer involvement, but noted: "The simple truth is that as we grow we do need more money."
Parkrun's funding includes public contributions from the UK, Ireland, and Australian governments, as well as income from commercial partnerships.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of parkrun, Brooks has released a special edition Ghost 16 parkrun trainer in the iconic apricot hue, pledging to donate 15% of profits to the charity. Mr Jefferys emphasised: "It’s important people know it’s free and always will be free. There’s no requirement for people to pay anything to take part."
The milestone will be marked this Saturday as parkrun enthusiasts across the UK and globally are invited to join in at their local events.