From 13 runners to millions - Parkrun celebrates 20th anniversary this weekend

Parkrun celebrates its 20th day this play aft increasing from a radical of 13 radical to a improvement that takes spot successful much than 2,500 locations.

Founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt enactment connected the archetypal lawsuit connected Saturday 2 October 2004 astatine Bushy Park successful southwest London arsenic helium recovered from an injury.

The fig of runners for the 5k lawsuit grew each week and different locations were added.

Mr Sinton-Hewitt - who received a CBE successful 2014 - shared flyers for the archetypal lawsuit with his 2 moving clubs, Ranelagh Harriers and The Stragglers.

"I didn't recognise everyone. Of the 13 astir 8 came for coffee, that was the commencement of the experience," helium said.

He was inspired by akin events successful South Africa, wherever helium grew up, and said Parkrun helped him with his intelligence wellness struggles.

Runs successful Wimbledon, Richmond, Banstead, Leeds and Brighton started betwixt 2006 and 2007 and Zimbabwe hosted the archetypal planetary event.

Parkrun is present established successful 23 countries and much than 10 cardinal radical are registered

"I went from 'let's turn this moving event' into thing that's much strategic, astir intelligence health, carnal wellness and wellbeing," said Mr Sinton-Hewitt.

About 2,000 GP surgeries globally are present twinned with a Parkrun and notation patients to the events to assistance their carnal and intelligence wellbeing.

Darren Wood, 42, from Carshalton successful southbound London, has completed the astir Parkruns of anyone - 913.

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A inferior Parkrun began 14 years agone and events are besides held successful 25 prisons and young offenders' institutions.

In February, Parkrun removed velocity records from its website to trim their "off-putting" quality and dispel the cognition that the runs are races.

The determination came amid criticism from immoderate for allowing transgender women to vie successful the pistillate category.

Mr Sinton-Hewitt hopes day events this play volition beryllium smaller than the 1,000th Bushy Park lawsuit successful August erstwhile much than 6,000 radical showed up.

He said Parkrun should beryllium "at a tenable level wherever you tin place different radical successful the community, you tin place radical similar you".

"A 100 marathon runner doesn't request Parkrun immoderate much but she volition inactive spell to spot her friends," Mr Sinton-Hewitt added.

"We emotion everybody, the fast, the slow."