Parkrun running is a good day running

Hi! I’m John and I’ve been part of Worthing Baptist Church for over three years.

Actually, I don’t like running! That used to be my cry 11 years ago. I liked watching runners along the prom in the sunshine and thought how lovely, but it’s not for me. In fact, you can keep it! It’s hard work, sweaty and boring.

However, to help my husband rehabilitate after a serious injury I did the Couch to 5K course, so that I could run with him. Well, who would have guessed that I would love it — and love it I did.

Make no mistake, the first few weeks were tough, but the challenges were so very doable. In nine weeks I ran my first 5K on one very cold and frosty December morning. I felt on top of the world and I couldn’t stop talking about it. You’d think I’d got a gold medal.

I started building up my distance but also became very ‘evangelical’ about it. That was boring, but I couldn’t help it.

Then Parkrun started on the seafront. 9am Saturday mornings and all free. Off we went and joined 300 runners. The starter gun goes off and we all run out along the prom and back again.

There is a real joy running with others. They might be super fast, average like me, or slower — but it doesn’t matter, it isn’t a race. We even have wheelchair users and blind runners too.

As I improved I’d start getting PBs (personal bests). Real achievements, out-running my previous time. Very, very uplifting.

Parkrun has its ‘milestones’. Fifty runs gives you a red T-shirt with 50 on it. One hundred runs, a black T-shirt. Two hundred and fifty, a green T-shirt. I’m only on 128 as I don’t go every week. I sometimes volunteer, which is also fun as it is so friendly.

The Parkrun numbers have grown to around 700. I now know lots of runners and have a good natter before the run. Then afterwards you get to compare times and be all geeky!

More and more of our church friends are taking part.

It’s a great feeling to be home at 10am with breakfast, knowing you’ve already done some great exercise and the weekend has only just begun. It’s called ‘being smug!’

I’ve been doing Parkrun for eight to nine years now. I never thought I’d be one of those people running 5K at the crack of dawn-ish and before breakfast.

Miracles do happen!