on 23 August 2024
Those who are regulars arrive bedecked in t shirts extolling how many times we’ve run it. A white 10 for children, a red 50, black 100 or the much coveted dark green 250. There are those zealots who wear the branded Parkrun* apricot coloured shirts which are overpriced and seem just that little bit too keen. Most just come in whatever gear they can find for running.
When you arrive, people are awkwardly milling around, friends catch up with each other, there are various people stretching, some wishing they were anywhere else, some hungover. There is a general announcement for the first timers briefing. The slightly embarrassed crowd of newbies wander over and are spoken to for a couple of minutes
Then at approx 8.59 the Race Director stands on a bench. At some Parkruns they have a loud speaker, but in ours they don’t. They utter the familiar words “Welcome to Northala Fields Parkrun number …….” People clap and cheer.
There is a call and response in the liturgy and us park runners respond with applause. “Are there any Parkrun tourists?” People cry out different cities and countries which they are from, the furthest distance gets the loudest cheer. The next question goes up, “Any first time Parkrunners?” (Clap, Clap) “Welcome to the Parkrun family”. “Any Milestones? 10,50,100, loud applause…there’s shuffling in the crowd as people come to stand on the bench next to the Run Director holding cards with the numbers on. 250 brings undiluted joy! Obligatory photographs take place.
Then we’re on to the final instructions. “Can we have a big round of applause for our volunteers. Watch out for other park users, please don’t take your barcode home, kids under 12 run with your responsible adult, all dogs on a leash.” Occasionally a cheeky throw away line like, “It’s a run not a race” but “Let’s run” is normally how it ends.
In our Parkrun there’s a 200 yard walk where 150 of you walk together, speaking to strangers saying something like “this walk seems to get longer every week”. There’s about two minutes where people get into their place – fast and lean ones at the front, late 20’s/30’s folk behind them, slightly overweight 40’s like myself, then parents and their children. There’s all of life there, which is part of the beauty of Parkrun. There’s always someone slower than you. People start beeping their watches trying to set them, more awkward standing around then……
3,2,1 and we’re all off, initially slow because everyone is running in unison, then it thins out. The run itself is like any other 5k run, just with lots of people. You pass volunteers who are directing you and Parkrun etiquette is to say “Thank you volunteers”. It is often a test of fitness to see whether you can actually do that while still running.
If people stop or slow down, encouraging words are uttered ‘don’t give up, run with me’. People say ‘keep going’ to the heavy breathing man in his late 40’s. People find their own level and just chug along. Once a month there are timers and you pick which one you want to aim at and try to keep pace.
The finish is through a funnel and you mustn’t change places with anyone once you’ve passed the timers, you are then given a precious token. You take the token and your barcode which is either printed out or on your phone and it is scanned by a volunteer. One of the cardinal rules of Parkrun is no barcode: no time!
Exhausted bodies like debris lie prone on the floor but they are newcomers. Most of us stumble to the scanners, holding our barcode and token as still as we can as we wait for the volunteers to scan and they say the immortal word…. “ok”. The token is dropped in the bucket and then that’s it. Talking with strangers, Parkrun friends, obligatory selfies and lots of standing around.
There is often cake for those celebrating milestones, after 10-15 minutes the crowd dissipates. Parkrun hardcore activists go on to a local cafe. It’s over for another week. That is until 2-3 hours later when you receive a notification on your phone – Parkrun results!! It is there you find your time, your age graded score, and stats. Oh the stats that you can spend precious minutes pouring over. The joy and exhilaration of a Personal Best, the slight deflation at your slowest time and yet there is a great feeling of self righteousness that you got round and you were out starting your Saturday morning with a 5k while others were wasting their morning. The shower after park run feels better than any other shower!
Each week I go there and think this is so like church it’s uncanny. It’s a fusion of different traditions!
There are notices which are slightly like the charismatic end of the church. The fun run director, slightly zany, welcoming, trying to be over friendly and funny. The people are listening and watching but not really paying any attention.
Then we move into a call and response liturgy, people start joining in not really knowing why they are clapping or whooping.
There is an army of volunteers working incredibly hard, serving behind the scenes. There are people who absolutely love to be there and mainly lots of people who feel they should be there, those who are doing well, those who barely get round. In every Parkrun there is lots of encouragement but also lots of discouragement in looking at others who seem to run the 5k freely without any effort at all.
As you finish it’s more Roman Catholic than anything else. You are given a token and you slowly, in order, reverently, take your token to the priest (volunteer) who scans it with deliberate focus. As he puts the token in the container your part is done. You must wait until the results of your efforts are revealed. Hours later you receive the Benediction of Results in your email. Either great joy or disappointment. It’s at that you dream of trying harder, running faster, doing better next week.
All of this is facetious. Yet the great lesson of Parkrun is that people love community, they love to feel that they belong. They enjoy being part of something bigger. There is a sense of fellowship in sharing in something. Our churches surely must be places where there is a sense of meaningful joy in partnering together in something far greater than running.
People in the secular UK are still looking for fellowship, there is that longing in every human being. Whether that be online, at the pub, at Parkrun, at the rugby, in clubs. The life that the Lord Jesus gives to his people is richer, greater, deeper, that in spite of all the thistles and thorns of this life, our corporate life together should be characterised by joy and partnership. Parkrun is a pale imitation of what the church could and should be. As churches we need to realise we are what people are looking for!
- Parkrun: an amateur race of 5k each Saturday to encourage exercise for all ages