Mark your diaries: here’s when parkrun will return

If you’re anything like us, you’ll have really missed your weekly parkrun (and the chats with your fellow runners!) this past year. But the good news is that we now have a date for running together again – Saturday 5th June.

“Bringing back parkrun events is a huge step for so many of us towards the return of normal life,” says parkrun Chief Executive Nick Pearson. “Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but working towards these dates gives us all hope.”

For those of us with younger runners in our lives, there’s even better news – junior parkrun events will return from Sunday 11th April, with a temporary age restriction of 4-10 years old to help organisers manage numbers. Older children are encouraged volunteer or spectate until they can hopefully also return on 5th June.

While some of us might be disappointed that we have to wait a little longer for the 5K event to return, parkrun are committed to ensuring that everyone is safe and happy. “Technically, parkrun could return in April,” Nick explains. “However, due to the other national restrictions in place, the expected level of infection at the time and the fact that our events regularly exceed 1,000 participants, we do not believe that it would be appropriate for them to return this early.”

As the team start to prepare for the return of a whopping 729 parkruns across England, they’re also working on a plan for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – keep an eye on their website for more info. And if you have any questions, parkrun will be hosting Q&As on their social channels.