Five racecourses to host much-awaited return of Parkruns this Saturday, 24th July

Runners nationwide have been eagerly awaiting the return of parkruns – the free, weekly, community events that are run on Saturdays and Sundays across the UK and the wider world. The events had to be suspended in March 2020 owing to the coronavirus pandemic but with World Athletics President Lord Coe among others backing the initiative and describing the event as, “one of the nation’s greatest public health initiatives,” parkrun can finally reopen.

Five racecourses are hosting events this weekend and the events are easy to enter, requiring only a simple registration form to be completed before turning up. You can walk, jog or run, or even spectate, and volunteering opportunities are always available at your local parkrun bringing you closer to your local community.

Susannah Gill, Communications and Corporate Affairs Director at the Tote and World Marathon Challenge winner commented: “Parkrun has played such an important role in getting so many people active and it’s fantastic to see events returning throughout the country this Saturday. As an added bonus for racing, it’s the perfect opportunity to allow some people to visit their local racecourse, and we hope that they will return in future to enjoy watching our wonderful racehorses stretch their legs.”

Andre Klein, General Manager at Warwick Racecourse added: “We are really excited to welcome back everyone from Parkrun to Warwick Racecourse. Sunday mornings at the track haven’t been the same for quite some time! We’ve had no shortage of runners using our facilities over the last 18-months, probably record numbers, but nothing beats the buzz of lining up alongside friends and strangers at a parkrun. Good luck to all the volunteers and everyone stretching out over the 5km this weekend.”

Racecourse runs:

• Hereford parkrun
• Market Rasen Racecourse parkrun
• Pontefract parkrun
• Warwick Racecourse parkrun
• Worcester Pitchcroft parkrun
• York parkrun – not on July 24th as racing takes place.

Run Newmarket:

• Sundays 11:15am at Newmarket’s historic Warren Hill Gallops- Free, weekly, 2k and 5k runs

Additional racecourse events:

York parkrun (illustration top of page) courtesy of © Illustration by Elliot Harrison – Instagram @York.360

Find your nearest Parkrun here.