How about Parkrun?
Parkrun is a weekly friendly social gathering at 9:00 on Saturdays where people decide to either run, walk or volunteer.
There are many local parkruns – Tooting, Clapham, Battersea, Herne Hill, Morden, Crystal Palace plus many others throughout the United Kingdom.
It is your choice of venue. Each Parkrun has its own dedicated website
My local parkrun is Tooting. I must admit I had some trepidation on my first visit but the welcome and assurance quickly put me at ease.
You can run/walk singularly or in groups. It is rather like a social gathering each week but essentially it is what you wish to make of it.
All you need to do is turn up – for Tooting – from the Vale it is a 20 minutes walk or catch a 249 bus form outside Tescos in Streatham High Road. You need to disembark at Tooting Athletics Track and walk across Dr Johnston Avenue.
Just look for the Marshalls in their wonderful pink bibs!
To register for Parkrun simply visit https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/
You only need to do this once. Your registration is valid at any Parkrun – though I must admit I haven’t tested it overseas (yet).
People run or walk singularly or in groups. Once you finish you will be allocated a time against your barcode and the results are usually available to your phone within the hour.
Each Parkrun has its dedicated website
On average Tooting Parkrun has 700/800 participants per week with many first time Parkrunners every week.
Many participants relax post Parkrun at the café on Tooting Common and new friendships are made.
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For parents who wish something similar existed for their children – it does!
Tooting Junior Parkrun at 9:00 on Sundays at the same venue exists to enable children aged 4-14 to run (either accompanied by a parent or on their own) around a controlled marshalled environment.
On average Tooting Junior Parkrun has 150/200 participants per week.
Why not try it.
Article by SVPOA member: Robert Palmer