Parkrun turns 20 with milestone celebration at Manchester’s Sale Water Parkrun
Manchester’s Sale Water parkrun marked the 20th birthday of parkrun this weekend as the nation came together to celebrate 20 years of the charity.
Vicky Thompson, Co-Event Director at Sale Water parkrun, was there on the morning to not only celebrate parkrun’s 20th birthday, but Sale Water parkrun’s 7th birthday, she said: “At Sale Water, we got to have double celebrations, marking both parkrun’s 20th birthday and our 7th anniversary.
“We didn’t have any balloons or fancy decorations, but true to the spirit of parkrun, we had the best morning with so much cake there are still leftovers today.
“We stayed for hours after the event, chatting, drinking coffee, and eating the yummy cake.
“It’s what we absolutely love about the parkrun community—people coming together on a chilly October morning, enjoying exercise and being outside, celebrating the thing that brought us all together.”
Sale Water parkrun is one of the 2500 locations that parkruns take place in across 23 countries every single weekend.
The parkrun, now in its 7th year, has happened 286 times and during that time, allowed 16,302 finishers and 1,113 volunteers to get active and out in their community.
There are now 10 million parkrunners registered across the world and the remarkable societal impact of parkrun has changed the lives of millions.
With celebrations across the nation, the man behind it all, Paul Sinton-Hewitt, was back at the very park in Teddington where he started the now global phenomenon, he said: “Twenty years ago, we started with just 13 runners and five volunteers in Bushy Park, united by a simple passion for running and community.
“Today, parkrun has grown into a global movement, with millions of participants in 23 countries.
“What began as a small gathering has become a powerful force for good, promoting health, happiness, and togetherness.
“I'm incredibly proud of how far we've come, and even more excited for the future as we continue to inspire people of all abilities to get moving, connect with others, and give back through the spirit of charity and community.”
parkrun is a charity that relies on the kindness of those who can and are able to donate, and the generosity of their partners and funders, parkrun will always be free to participate in, but it isn’t free to put on.
You can find your nearest event to run, walk, jog or volunteer at www.parkrun.org.uk