Parkrun set to resume in England after six-month hiatus with new Covid-19 rules

‘This is a watershed moment. We will be back together again,’ says organiser

(Getty)

Parkrun is set to resume in England next month after a six-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event, which sees people take part in free weekly timed runs, was cancelled across the UK in March after the country was placed on lockdown.

But now, following detailed conversations with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Sport England, and Public Health England, Parkrun’s organisers have confirmed that it will be making a comeback in October.

“Ever since Parkrun events closed in the UK and across the world, we’ve been focused on understanding how and when we would be able to resume in a safe and appropriate way,” Nick Pearson, the event’s global chief executive officer, said in a statement.

“Throughout, we have sought to understand the evidence, to be a part of discussions with government and public health bodies, to listen to the parkrun community, and to communicate regularly, transparently and honestly.”

He continued: “I am delighted to announce that we intend to reopen parkrun and junior parkrun events in England toward the end of October this year.”

Pearson added that getting communities running again was more important than ever and that the organisation believes the benefits of reopening Parkrun “far outweigh the risks”.

“Everything in life comes with a risk, and we know and accept that we cannot remove all risks from the parkrun environment,” he explained.

“However, it is also important to balance the public health benefits of reopening our events, against the associated public health risks. The last six months have increased inequalities around health and wellbeing, with many people more isolated and less active than ever in their life.”

Parkrun organisers have said that the event will resume with a new Covid-19 framework in place.

The new rules that runners must adhere to include no spitting or high-fives, while pre-race briefings will be limited to a maximum of two minutes and participants will be encouraged to keep a one metre distance where possible at the start line.

No date has been set for Parkrun’s return to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland due to current restrictions in those countries.

“However, we are aware of the implications of only opening in England and are continuing our work to overcome the challenges that this presents,” Pearson said. “We are also as committed as ever to opening our events outside of England as soon as possible.

“This is a watershed moment. Parkrun will return. We will be back together again.”

Parkrun was founded in Bushy Park in Teddington by Paul Sinton-Hewitt in 2004, when 13 runners got together.

Today, the event operates in 22 countries and more than four million people have taken part in one of the free timed runs.

Runners or walkers can take part in 5km events on Saturday mornings while 2km junior events take place on Sunday mornings. Events are free and are run by volunteers.