It’s a gorgeous Saturday morning in York Road Park and 75 people have gathered just east of the Covered Bridge for the weekly parkrun,
As much a community event as it is an athletic one, parkrun features an informal collection of runners and walkers of all ages, abilities and experience completing a 5 km course along the Eramosa River Trail.
Aidan Kelly attended parkruns in Ireland and later Kitchener before helping start the one in Guelph earlier this year.
“It’s for everybody and it’s very inclusive,” Kelly said. “Walk, run, jog, volunteer. It’s a community event. It’s not a race. We never use the word ‘race.’”
Participants in parkrun are timed, but the event is not competitive. Timing is more about personal motivation and challenge than it is who finished when. In fact there is a person assigned to finish last.
“Parkruns are free and accessible for everyone. It’s timed, but it’s not a race unless you want it to be a race against yourself,” said Angela Drystek, one of the volunteers that makes it happen each week.
“You can be kind of competitive with yourself or you can walk or just come and hang out. It’s just a wide range of people taking part.”
Drystek said that the run provides a routine and “a little bit of accountability” for participants in an informed, non-intimidating setting.
“Sometimes, particularly when you’re just starting out with an activity like running, it can be hard to get out.”
Some participants walk the course. Some bring children in strollers. The odd one brings their dog.
Cara Kasdorf ran Saturday’s course pushing a double stroller with her two children along for the ride.
“One of the reasons I love coming is because I can bring my kids along in the stroller,” Kasdorf said.
“I can run with my kids and they can be part of it too. It’s very much a community event. You can make it what you want, you can run it as a race and try and go faster or you can take it easy, enjoy it as a community event and chat with people.”
Parkruns are an international movement, starting in London, England, in 2004 with 13 people. They now happen in 22 countries, with some weekly runs attracting over 1,000 people.
Guelph’s weekly event (rain or shine) started earlier this summer on a trial basis but has now been rubber stamped for year-round.
Kelly said around the world, every morning at 9 a.m., there are a quarter of a million people taking part in a parkrun somewhere. Over 6 million have registered.
The Guelph group will hold a picnic after its weekly run on Sept. 7 that will include a potluck table.
For more information on the weekly Guelph parkrun can be found on its website or Facebook.
Participants are asked to register online one time only before attending their first parkrun.
