Parkruns: Fifers flock to growing network of weekend events ..

Whether people volunteered, walked, jogged or ran they were very much welcomed with open arms.

And today, that vision is very much alive and kicking, running… and walking!

Organisers of parkrun are keen to encourage more walkers, stressing that it’s not all about running, and have launched a new initiative to emphasise their point - simply calling it parkwalk.

In Fife, there are parkruns at Craigtoun Park, near St Andrews; Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy; Lochore Meadows Country Park; and Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline. There’s also one at Loch Leven, starting at Loch Leven’s Larder in Kinross.

They are all getting involved in encouraging more walkers to take part in their weekly Saturday morning events.

Across the country, nearly 900,000 different people have walked at parkrun, with more than 13,000 people walking every single week.

There is no time limit at parkrun, and thousands of people take over an hour to complete the 5k course.

Gary Ovenstone, St Andrews parkrun event director, said: “Walking is a great way of soaking up the parkrun atmosphere, getting the opportunity to chat to people and being active.

“And it’s something that whole families or friendship groups can do together.

“It’s also one of the best entry points into parkrun, especially for those who may be taking their first steps towards healthier and happier lifestyles.

“You can walk at any pace, alone or with others. You could bring a dog or a buggy and even use walking poles if you have them.

“Walking can help you manage or prevent health conditions, enhance your mood, boost fitness and bring you into contact with some amazing places and people.

“At parkrun, we actively support as many people as possible to walk and we have dedicated volunteers who do just that.

“The parkwalker volunteer is a friendly face who provides support and encouragement to walkers, as part of our commitment to increasing the number of people who walk at our events.”

Every parkrun event across the world has at least one volunteer tail walker, who is the person or people at the back who always finish last. So far, a phenomenal 175,771 different people have been a tail walker at parkrun.

If you are just starting out walking there is an eight week guide to successfully completing a 5k walk, so you don’t have to worry about doing the whole distance on week one.

There are currently 1,157 parkrun events around the UK taking place every weekend, with even more worldwide. More locations are being added all of the time.

There’s a growing popularity in becoming a parkrun tourist, taking part in events in many different locations!

Parkruns take place every Saturday morning, starting at 9.30am.

It’s a fun event organised by volunteers for the benefit of everyone, and it’s free to take part, although participants should register beforehand.

So why not kickstart your road to a happier healthier lifestyle in 2023 by joining everyone for parkwalk or parkrun?

Head to www.parkrun.org.uk for more information and to register for free.

• There are also a number of junior parkruns which take place in Fife. These events cover a distance of 2k, and are dedicated to 4-14 year olds and their families. They take place every Sunday morning.

There are junior parkruns in Fife at Cotlands Park, Kennoway; Fife Cycle Park, at Glencraig, near Lochgelly; and Duloch Country Park, Dunfermline; and also at Kirkgate Park, Kinross.

Further information about junior parkruns is also available at www.parkrun.org.uk.