Parkrun will not return on the 5th of June as planned despite 250 venues being happy to open.
Parkrun is a free running community events that run each week. On Saturday mornings, hundreds of runners meet in parks and open spaces where they can walk, jog or run 5k. On Sunday mornings, the whole family is invited as kids aged 4 to 14 run a shorter track.
Out of over 300,000 venues, only 250 venues are comfortable hosting Park run during Covid restrictions. Organisers have said that opening a “small subset of parkruns is not viable”.
The event coordinators are holding talks with the reluctant venues to see if they can gain clarification on when they will open. They are hopeful a decision will be made on whether venues will re open on 26th June.
Parkrun global chief executive Nick Pearson expresses his gratitude to “all of the landowners who have granted events permission so far”. He is “optimistic” that the remaining 600 venues will continue very soon.
Nick says many requests are “caught in unnecessary red tape” and urges ministers to write to landowners telling them they must allow a restart of parkrun events.
Lord Coe urges support for return of Parkrun
The president of the World Athletics Lord Coe is telling decision makers to back the return of Parkrun. He believes a delay runs the risk of “losing it forever”.
In an open letter, Lord Coe reveals that he is unsure of the reluctance. Writing in an open letter, if we can eat in restaurants, visit families and even watch sports life then running events should be a “no brainer”. The event, which Coe claims has become the “fabric of everyday life”, helps make London and other locations happier. He calls us to action to help “ensure it has a future”.
Talking to BBC sport, a Local Government Association (LGA) spokesperson reveals they are aware of the value these events for peoples well being and mental health. However, the delay that Covid is making resulted in a 600% increase in applications.
These applications are commonly for the same outdoor space, as many events are looking to run on short notice. While they appreciate the enthusiasm, they need organisers to “understand the scale of the challenge they face”. Public safety is, and will continue to be, the LGA’s top concern.
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