Guernsey Parkrun celebrates its 400th event
One in 10 of the 200 runners taking part in Saturday’s Parkrun at L’Ancresse were taking their first step on the journey as the community run celebrated its 400th event.
Event director Lorna O’Donnell said the weekly run had started quite small in 2016.
‘We’ve just grown and grown each year, getting more people,’ she said.
‘It has such a good community. We come down and meet with friends and afterwards we often stay for a coffee.’
The run is one of more than 2,500 around the world, which are all free events with a 5km course.
In Guernsey the course starts from the Pembroke car park and loops up over L’Ancresse Common, with two 2.5km laps.
Since the local event started in April 2016, there have been 5,765 locally-registered runners, and 7,679 participants, marshalled by nearly 700 volunteers over the years.
The quietest Guernsey Parkrun saw 60 people turnout for a run in December 2016, while the busiest was Halloween 2020, when 256 took part.
Most runners take around 30 minutes to complete the course, with the record being held by a visiting runner, Caleb Wagener, who completed the route in 15 minutes and 53 seconds in April.
Mrs O’Donnell said they got lots of people collected different Parkruns around the world, and they also saw lots of Parkrun tourists coming to Guernsey, to take part in the local event.
The 400th event had been due to take place over Christmas, but several events have had to be cancelled this winter.
Mrs O’Donnell said runs were not cancelled lightly.
‘But there has been some horrendous weather.’
Saturday dawned bitterly cold, but bright, and the icy south-easterly wind did not deter the new year runners.
There were 215 runners, of which 28 were taking part for the first time.
But most of the runners were seasoned participants.
The Guernsey runner with some of the most Parkruns to her name is Nicola Sharp, 45, who has finished 346, of which 301 have been in Guernsey.
She has also run all over the UK and in Germany, as well as during her honeymoon in South Africa.
‘I just love it,’ she said.
‘It is like a family.’
She is also responsible for coordinating the local volunteers
To take place each run needs at least 15 volunteers to staff to the course.
‘We always need more volunteers,’ she said, ‘and they are very much a part of the community.’
It takes about an hour to volunteer on a Saturday morning.
Sarah Smith, 57, came to the very first park run more than eight years ago but has never run the course.
‘I have just volunteered, on and off, over the years,’ she said.
‘It’s just nice to be giving something back and everyone loves it so much.’
For Jo Farrell, 56, Saturday’s event was a special anniversary in several ways. It was her 50th Parkrun and her 25th time volunteering.
‘I just enjoy the community,’ she said, ‘and I like to be able to challenge myself.’
The run sets off at 9am each Saturday from Pembroke. It is free to enter.
To volunteer, email guernsey@parkrun.com or message the organisers through their Facebook page.
