'I started a running group with 13 joggers - now we have 10million and it's just the beginning'

One of the biggest mass participation events in the world is about to mark its 20th birthday... and is set to run and run. Founded by Paul Sinton-Hewitt on Oct 2, 2004, with 13 runners and five volunteers, parkrun now takes place at 2,500 locations across six continents.

From those humble beginnings in Bushy Park, London, it has set foot in 23 countries. With 10m registered runners, it is open to all abilities, and like the best things in life, it is free.

Celebrity parkrunners include boxer Tyson Fury, who has posed with fans at his local event in Morecambe, Lancs., and snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Organisers say the secret is its simplicity. Loyal teams of volunteers turn out from Gateshead to Glasgow, Dorking to Dundee, across the four nations of the UK, and around the world. ‌Runners of all abilities line up at 9am every Saturday morning to cover 5k (3.1m), many in search of that elusive Personal Best.

It was first run when South African-born Paul, 64, a keen club runner, decided that he wanted to set up a fun event for all. He originally intended to start the first parkrun, then known as a 'time trial', at 8am before a friend persuaded him that it was simply too early for most Brits.

‌He jokes now: "She said 'I don't think that is a good idea'. Who knows what would have happened if we had started that early? If I had stuck with my original plans, maybe we wouldn't be where we are today."

‌He almost chose Richmond Park for that inaugural event, rather than Bushy Park, before he opted for the spot closer to his home. There are now parkruns across Europe, Japan, and Australia. It is growing most rapidly in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland.

The US and Canada are the next big targets, with signs of promise after a slow start. Paul, now parkrun exec director and honorary member of Richmond-based Ranelagh Harriers, told The Mirror: "The 20th birthday is a really big milestone.

‌"And yet it is just the beginning. I am incredibly proud of the work that the volunteers do, week in, week out, and the benefits to the physical and mental health of taking part.

"That has been accrued by all the participants, and that is absolutely amazing. I expect the next 20 years to be even more impressive, because we now have a properly resourced organisation."

He added: "The US is untapped really; we have 100 events there and yet we could easily have 10,000. So with the right people in place, and the lessons we have learned, the future is even bigger and brighter."‌

‌Success was a 'slow burner, one week at a time, building the core of the organisation before we got too big'. He explained: "I didn't start it with this in mind, so every day has seen change. We do learn and do things better the next time.

"That's how we have grown, and that is how we will go forward. The free, weekly event stays the same, that is our DNA. But then volunteers are doing something for their local area, not some corporate organisation, and that is what draws people in. The community, the coffee, the chat, which they get every week. And we are very, very clear about how it works."

Team GB star Georgia Bell won a bronze medal in the 1500m at the age of 30 after the parkrun 'got her back into' running. It was during Covid," she recalled. "I did the Bushy Park one in London and the Christmas Day parkrun in Tunbridge Wells. That got me back into running during Covid. I got back in touch with my running coach and started doing races again. And that is how this all started."

She described it as 'a really fun way to test yourself', adding: "I was second overall when I came back at the parkrun, there was just one guy who beat me, so I was happy with that."

Bushy Park attracts more than 1,000 participants. Georgia's PB is 16:08. She said of her British Championship run to book her Olympic place: "I was born in Paris, I think sometimes greater things are at work. It was a random bit of synergy. Some things are meant to be."

That was certainly the case for Russ Jefferys, 40, parkrun's chief executive. His local run now is Marlborough Common run on the Wiltshire/Berkshire border, which he describes as 'deceptive' because of the hill in the middle, with a PB of 17:36.

But his first was in Australia, after moving there in 2012. "I was there with my wife and I set up an event in Canberra where we lived," he said. "It brought me to a new community, I got to know the local runners and they took us under their wing.‌

‌"And that is where it all began. It was the formative years, it was only the fifth or sixth event in Australia, but it was a great way to meet people. It was incredible to see it grow.

"I got to know Paul, the founder, and then started to work for parkrun when I came back to the UK in 2015, and that is how I am where I am today."

In charge of taking the event across the globe, while keeping to the ethos of a 'fun event for all', he says: "I think the secret is the regularity, same time, same place. We work hard to keep it as simple as possible. It is easy for volunteers and communities to deliver and replicate.

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"We see so many people finding the fun in it. We chanced upon that, we all want to be part of something, and we have made that possible. Young, old, fast, slow, everyone is welcome, and we mean everyone.

"We have an ambition for more events, in more countries, with more people taking part. That is the real target for us over the next 20 years."