14/06/2026
Weekend Running Roundup 🏃♀️🏃♂️
This was no ordinary parkrun weekend. Saturday 13 June marked the one millionth parkrun event worldwide, celebrated back where it all began at Bushy Park in London. The story started on 2 October 2004, when Paul Sinton-Hewitt, recently made redundant and unable to run through injury, set up a free, weekly, timed 5k for a few friends. Just 13 runners and a handful of volunteers turned up to that first Bushy Park Time Trial. Two decades on, that simple idea has grown into a global community spanning more than 2,800 locations across 23 countries, with Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes among those marking the occasion. Not a bad legacy for a Saturday morning jog in the park.
And we did our bit to nudge that total along, with 23 of us out across 8 different venues this week. A special milestone of our own too: huge congratulations to Bernie Boardman, who clocked up an incredible 600th volunteering occasion this weekend, 582 of them right here at Heaton. A phenomenal amount of giving back, and exactly the spirit the millionth event is all about. 👏
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BOLTON
Kate Myers and Ros Dines made the trip over to Bolton and both had a fine morning out on the course. A lovely mention too for Derek and Fiona Case, who were on the volunteering team at Bolton this week, helping to make the morning happen for everyone else.
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CHADDERTON HALL
Julie Smith flew the flag for the group at Chadderton Hall, putting in a strong run on a course she knows well.
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CLARENCE
Stephen Crowe represented the group at Clarence and got the job done in good style.
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HAIGH WOODLAND
Rachael Fiske took on the trails at Haigh Woodland and had a great outing in the woods.
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HEATON
Our biggest contingent of the week was at Heaton, with twelve of us out on the Park. John Bradford was first back for the group and capped his morning with a course PB, with Aaron Stones close behind notching a course PB of his own. Laura Tomkins was in superb form, setting a new personal best and finishing 2nd in her age category. Paula Crosland followed her home in fine style with a personal best of her own, also taking 2nd in her age category and posting an age grade comfortably over 70%, a seriously good morning's work.
There was a real family feel to the morning too. Lucie Tighe ran alongside her daughter Grace, the pair crossing the line together, and Charlene Leyden shared the course with her daughter Eliza, two more mums and daughters making memories on a special parkrun weekend. Paul Cox, Christopher Mihalyi, Chris Grayshon, Paul Jenkinson, Steve Sweeney and Nicole Borrelli all ran strongly, and Angela Pradena enjoyed a lovely parkwalk to complete a memorable morning on the Park.
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KINGSWAY PARK, URMSTON
Four of us headed to Kingsway Park in Urmston, with Kath Biddle leading the way for the group and finishing 2nd in her age category into the bargain. Andrew and Alison Whitehead both ran strongly, and Tracy Wroe rounded out the group with a solid effort on the day.
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NEWBOROUGH FOREST
Michael Aiken had the most scenic outing of the lot, taking on Newborough Forest on Anglesey, a single lap on a mix of sand, trail and forest fire roads winding through the pines and along the beach front, with views out over the stunning Llanddwyn Island.
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PENNINGTON FLASH
Paul Heathcote was in great form at Pennington Flash, running strongly to claim a course PB by the water.
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RACES
Just the one race to report this week, but what a setting for it.
Sunday 14 June - Windermere Marathon
Kath Biddle backed up her Saturday parkrun with something rather bigger on Sunday, taking on the Windermere Marathon. Often called England's most scenic marathon, it is a full anticlockwise lap of Lake Windermere finishing at Brathay Hall near Ambleside. It is a beautiful 26.2 miles, with around 600m of climbing and a couple of testing hills that go by names like Devil's Gallop and the aptly named Ice Cream Mountain in the closing stages. On a lovely warm day, that combination of climbs and sunshine makes for a proper challenge, and Kath took it all on brilliantly. A fantastic effort in a glorious part of the world. 👏
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Another brilliant, varied weekend of running, from a millionth-parkrun celebration to a marathon around Windermere. Proud of every one of you. 💜🏃♀️🏃♂️
