Parkrun organise weekly, 5km runs at venues all over the world. Started in February, Whangarei, parkrun has now achieved an impressive 218 registered runners and walkers listing Whangarei as their home parkrun.
Recent visitors to Whangarei, Kerry Bray from Cronulla in Sydney, Vin Martin from Melbourne and Anne-Marie and PaulLoader from Launceston in Tasmania all stopped off overnight in Whangarei just to add the Whangarei parkrun event to their New Zealand visit. Anne-Marie has run 88 parkrun events, with Paul now on 78, while Kerry has achieved a total of 40 runs. All four visitors were heading north to see the Bay of Islands but decided to stop off in Whangarei specifically to run in the local event and add it to the collection of parkrun events that they had been to.
After her Whangarei run, Anne-Marie posted this comment on Facebook. "We loved parkrun this morning. Thank you to all the volunteers." Vin Martin commented "Great course, great scenery, great atmosphere. Thoroughly enjoyed this parkrun after visiting from Albert Melbourne parkrun.
To date the Whangarei event has seen parkrunners visit from most of the 12 other New Zealand events, from across Australia where there are 149 parkruns and as far away as England, where parkrun started in 2012. Each Saturday has seen 50 or more enthusiastic participants run, jog or walk the measured 5km circuit where they are timed using accurate recording equipment. Results are on line within an hour or so and everyone receives a personal email with their own results showing how they went.
Here in Whangarei, sections of the hugely popular Hatea Loop are used with a start and finish under Te Matau A Pohe Bridge, Port Rd.
Getting under way at 8am every Saturday morning, parkrun is open to everyone regardless of ability. The focus of parkrun is on recreational running and participation so, young or old, male or female, fit or unfit, able-bodied or not, juniors, first-time runners, Olympians, octogenarians, or somewhere in between, you will always be welcome at parkrun.
The format of every parkrun is simple, register online once, turn up and take part, it's that easy. And you don't pay to enter, ever, all because of our wonderful group of volunteers, who come from within our local parkrun community.
