All parkrun regulars have a parkrun story - this is mine.

I resisted parkrun for quite a long time. When I was commuting every day I couldn’t understand why anyone would get up early on Saturdays, or why I would need an organised event to go for a run in a park, and especially why people who took part seemed so enthusiastic, even obsessional, about it. I didn’t think it was for me.

In 2020, Covid took away my commute, and once it was allowed again I spent many Sunday mornings running with my dad in Knole park in Sevenoaks. Getting up early at the weekend, to run at a pre-arranged time, with company, in a park. Meeting at the same time every week and running the same route. I don’t remember now exactly what got me over my parkrun scepticism and took me to Malling (now Leybourne Lakes) on the 11th of December 2021, but with hindsight, maybe those regular runs in the park were the gateway. After my first parkrun I was back at Malling the following week, and again one week later - despite the fact that it was Christmas day.

Since then I’ve completed over 160 parkruns in 16 different locations, from Land’s End to Bressay, via Amager Faelled in Copenhagen and Fort Ward near Seattle, US. Parkrun has improved my running by adding consistency and a healthy element of competition with myself, as I test myself on the same courses week after week. More importantly, it has welcomed me into an inclusive and encouraging community of runners, walkers and volunteers that I never knew I was missing until I found it.

My home park run now is East Grinstead, which is known for “That Hill” and for its copious mud in winter (and autumn, and spring). After moving to the area I diligently trudged through the mud and up the hill (twice) every week of my first winter in the hope of getting better at it, only to find myself going slower and slower each time. On cold, dark mornings when the rain was hammering against the bedroom window, what got me out of bed was thinking of the volunteers who would be there whatever the weather, setting up for the increasingly small number of people who would be disappointed if there was no parkrun to slip and slide around on a Saturday morning.

Many of those volunteers are familiar faces now, who greet me by name and shout encouragement to me on the way round. I've been inspired to volunteer from time to time myself, and have gained a different kind of satisfaction from being able to offer support and encouragement to others, and receive a grateful smile or breathless "thank you, marshal" in return.

East Grinstead is a small parkrun so even though I still find it hard-going I’ve been first female a few times, am regularly in the top three and on one memorable occasion came second behind a certain Dame Kelly Holmes (who also found it tough, according to her Instagram). Not bad for the girl who always came last in races at school.

I’m now proud to call myself a parkrunner, and my Saturday mornings wouldn’t be the same without it. I am honoured to have the chance to run and raise money for something that has made such a positive difference to my life, and to so many others around the world.

Your donation to my fundraising page will help keep parkrun free for everyone, forever. Thank you so much for your support!