The boardwalk which had been thoroughly water blasted to clear the effect of recent flooding was in excellent condition and welcomed by the 41 runners and walkers on Saturday.
The first-ever parkrun was held in Bushy Park in London on October 2, 2004, organised by founder Paul Sinton Hewitt.
Since then, the collection of 5km events for walkers, runners and volunteers has grown and at 8am on a Saturday morning runners in 23 countries and five continents are out running and walking in parks with close to 7 million finishers world-wide since the humble start in London.
My first experience of parkrun was three years ago on the Island of Bressey in Shetland which is the most northerly run in the UK, if not the world, where I watched the Jones family run.
Lesley hails from Shetland, Gareth is the generous sponsor of both the Whanganui Marathon and the Cooks Classic. (Pak'nSave).
Two weeks after my Shetland introduction I was at Josh van Dalen's (son of orthopaedic surgeon John van Dalen and his wife Susan) wedding in Madrid. I sat at a table with John and Judy Mellsop whose daughter Caroline ran for the New Zealand junior team at the world junior championships some years earlier.
At the table, I mentioned how much I had enjoyed watching parkrun. They had both taken part in many around New Zealand and indicated that they had hoped to set up one in Whanganui.
The gestation period was longer than had been hoped for as they struggled to find a venue that both the parkrun governing body and our own district council were happy with.
Their perseverance paid off as the final choice was brilliant. The run is from the Castlecliff end of Taupo Quay beyond the Cobham Bridge to the steel ball on the riverbank by the Saturday market and back.
The course is good and on a good morning is stunning. It is popular with many visitors and locals alike.
The full trial came in March 2020 but the first official run was not until July 2020 because of the long first Covid lockdown. There have been further interruptions with the second lockdown and under red traffic light protocols.
Saturday's was the 77th held on the riverbank and over the two intervening years 94 volunteers, so essential for any sporting endeavour, have ensured the event has flourished.
In the two years, there have been 2763 finishes from 688 different runners and walkers.
There has been an average of 35.9 finishers each week, many of whom have taken part in inclement weather.
Among these participants on 540 occasions, a personal best run or walk has been set. It is rewarding to see many who have come in an effort to improve their fitness make often stunning progress with resultant satisfaction.
A parkrun event offers something from top performers to those who wish to enjoy a walk or jog along our wonderful riverbank walkway.
• Full details can be found on the Whanganui Riverbank website www.parkrun.co.nz/whanganuiriverbankwhanganui/
