It’s nearly a year since parkrun first came to Charlton – and since then well over 700 people have signed up for a regular Saturday morning five-kilometre run or walk around Charlton Park.
More than 2,700 people have come from near and far to take part, and just as importantly, more than 230 people have volunteered – helping to marshal, setting the course up, welcoming newcomers, timekeeping or making sure all the finishers are counted.
It’s not just locals that take part – Charlton parkrun has become a draw for people from across London and far beyond. On a typical day, 171 people will finish the three-lap course.
The parkun team will mark their first anniversary on Saturday 1 October – but if you haven’t done it before, there’s no need to wait for your first time as they’ll be in the park ready for 9am tomorrow morning.
LINDA BOSCIC, one of Charlton parkrun’s event directors, explains what it’s about and why you should give it a go…
On 2 October 2021, 330 runners and walkers and 34 volunteers turned up just before 9am to take part in the first ever parkrun to be held in Charlton Park.
Since that amazing day, every Saturday morning come rain or shine a team of about 20 volunteers will arrive from 8.15am – depending on their role – to set up the course and wait for the walkers, joggers and runners to arrive for the 9am start.
Once the tail walker – a volunteer who is always the last person to cross the finish line – completes the course, the volunteers complete the close down and put away the kit ready for the next Saturday.
It’s then over to the Old Cottage café for coffee, maybe some breakfast and a chat with participants new and old. It’s always supporting and welcoming, regardless of whether it’s your first time or 51st time.
Parkrun is a free 5k walk or run around your local park every Saturday morning (come at 8.45am if you’re doing it for the first time). Sign up at www.parkrun.org.uk/register, where you’ll be allocated a unique barcode which you can either print or download to your smartphone.
You then turn up on Saturday morning with your barcode in time for the run director’s briefing, ready to start at 9am. On completing the three laps of the course you are given a parkrun barcode with a position number on it. You then walk over one of our scanner volunteers who will scan the token and keep it, then they scan your barcode, which you keep.
What parkrun is not is a race – it’s an opportunity to walk or run in your local park with others from your local community, staying active and healthy, making new friends or helping to make the event happen by volunteering, because without the volunteers the event would not happen. We have people completing the event in anywhere from 16 minutes to 1 hour with an average time of 28 minutes across all ages from under-11s (who must be with an adult) to over-80s.
If you’ve never done a parkrun before, then either come and talk to us one Saturday morning and see what it’s all about, or just come and take part – simply let one of the team know it’s your first time and you will be welcomed into the parkrun family.
Charlton parkrun takes place every Saturday morning in Charlton Park at 9am. Visit www.parkrun.org.uk/charlton for more information.
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