Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui's weekly parkrun event celebrating one year

Mike Tweed
Mike Tweed
Multimedia Journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
4 Jun, 2021 05:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Parkrun organiser Anne Bennett says a dedicated group of people take part every week. Photo / Andy Walmsley

Parkrun organiser Anne Bennett says a dedicated group of people take part every week. Photo / Andy Walmsley

International running event parkrun has spread to hundreds of locations around the world, and the Whanganui course will mark one year in operation next month.

The 5km run begins at 8am every Saturday morning, and takes participants along the Whanganui River bank on the Mountain to Sea Cycleway.

Volunteer organiser Anne Bennett said despite "so much going on" during Whanganui's weekends, there was a dedicated group of 28 people who completed the run every week.

"Our regulars are always there, it's fantastic," Bennett said.

"We can average anywhere from 28 to 50-something and the cross country runners from Collegiate join us for their training when they don't have any away sports.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There are also of tourists who come to Whanganui for Parkrun and then stay in town for the weekend."

Parkrun, which was free to enter, wasn't about winning the race, Bennett said.

"No one comes last.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
The Whanganui event is one of over 30 in New Zealand. Photo / Judy Mellsop
The Whanganui event is one of over 30 in New Zealand. Photo / Judy Mellsop

"We have the first finishers across the line, and then we celebrate everyone else coming across too."

Bennett enters one parkrun a month and she had improved her personal best for the 5km by around 10 minutes.

Discover more

School sport: Mixed fortunes for Collegiate against FDMC

03 Jun 05:00 PM

Bus shelter art leads to fulltime career

03 Jun 05:00 PM

Museum Notebook: Ever wondered what Queen's Birthday is all about

06 Jun 05:00 PM

Whanganui letters:Covid-19 jabs, Shambolic and the arts

03 Jun 05:00 PM

"Absolutely anyone can get involved," she said.

"You can run the whole way or just come for a stroll with your dog or with your baby in a pram.

"It's just about enjoying being out along the waterfront, because it's such a beautiful course."

Participants would be encouraged to wear blue for the big birthday run on July 3, Bennett said.

"I myself am going to be wearing a blue tutu and blue wings as well."

Bennett said parkrun began in Teddington, England in 2004.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The first event had 13 people, and now there are over three million parkrunners worldwide.

"Our Whanganui contingent is growing as well.

"This event is free forever, so we couldn't do it without our volunteers. A big shout out to them as well."

Save
    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Premium
OpinionNicky Rennie

Nicky Rennie: Let this be a lesson to you

12 Sep 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

‘I’ve found a steam train’: Historical locomotive discovered in sand bank

12 Sep 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Marton Dam classified ‘dangerous’ under new government safety regulations

12 Sep 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Premium
Premium
Nicky Rennie: Let this be a lesson to you
OpinionNicky Rennie

Nicky Rennie: Let this be a lesson to you

OPINION: I quickly scanned the room for both my common sense and my intelligence.

12 Sep 05:00 PM
‘I’ve found a steam train’: Historical locomotive discovered in sand bank
Whanganui Chronicle

‘I’ve found a steam train’: Historical locomotive discovered in sand bank

12 Sep 05:00 PM
Marton Dam classified ‘dangerous’ under new government safety regulations
Whanganui Chronicle

Marton Dam classified ‘dangerous’ under new government safety regulations

12 Sep 05:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP