‘Running brings so many benefits’ – Record numbers attend parkruns in Staffordshire – Stoke-on-Trent Live

Thousands of people around North Staffordshire will be making a New Year’s resolution to get fit – but it seems like the county could already be well on the way to a healthier future.

New figures show that the number of people taking part in parkrun – a 5k run on Saturday mornings in the local park – has increased massively in Staffordshire over the past few years.

The parkrun phenomenon began in October, 2004 in London with just 13 runners and three volunteers.

Since then it has spread to 25 other countries around the world.

The concept is simple – you turn up with a barcode to record your time and then run, walk or jog the 5k at whatever pace you feel comfortable.

It is free and staffed by volunteers, with T-shirts handed out on completion of 50, 100 and 250 events.

Staffordshire has five parkruns – Hanley, The Wammy in Newcastle, the Isabel Trail in Stafford, Chasewater and Cannock Chase.

Latest figures show an average of 1,483 people run in the county each week – up 36 per cent on 2018 and a new record for the area.

Hanley Park was the first in Staffordshire to host a run, with 17 runners taking part in the initial event in 2011. It now averages 264 participants.

The Wammy – which started in 2018 – has also seen a rise in runners. It also averages 264 – up from 194 in 2018. Isabel Trail parkrun has seen roughly 252 turn out every Saturday in 2019 – up 17 per cent on last year.

The Hanley event even attracted a record-breaking 205 runners on Christmas morning while the Wammy welcomed 250 – up from 144 the year before.

The upshot is that more and more people are getting physical and mental benefits – which can only be good news for local health services.

Accountant Carla Jackson, from Stone, is a regular at both The Wammy and Hanley.

She said: “I remember how clueless I felt when I first turned up at parkrun. I didn’t own running shoes, I didn’t know anyone there and I didn’t know if I could run 5k, so I sat in my car considering turning round.

“But as soon as I got out of the car I realised how none of that mattered. To me this is one of the reasons parkrun is so popular, you just turn up and run, walk or jog, it doesn’t matter. The volunteers are so supportive and everyone is glad to see you there.

“There are other things I never expected I would gain from parkrun too, drinking tea with all the new friends you’ve made afterwards or setting off somewhere new on a Saturday morning for a bit of parkrun ‘tourism’.”

Jon Land, from Alsager, goes to different parkruns – often travelling further afield as one of the parkrun ‘tourists’.

He is also a run director for the junior version of parkrun at Burslem Park on Sunday mornings.

Jon said: “While many runners push themselves, it is not a competition, there are no winners, and there is a strong emphasis on supporting each other.

“Running brings so many benefits beyond physical fitness – it’s perfect for de-stressing after a long week, and parkrun is being ‘prescribed’ by many GPs to those struggling with anxiety and depression.

“It’s a great way to make new friends and meet like-minded people – it is by no means an elite activity.”

A recent study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that any amount of running can have major benefits for long-term health.

Dr Paul Scott, chairman of North Staffs Medical Council, said: “I know a lot of people who take part in parkruns and it’s great as long as you are fit enough to do them.

“Parkruns can motivate people to take up exercise and that’s really good.”

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