Free Weekly Runs in the Park

Every Saturday morning, in hundreds of parks across the country, an unusual scene takes place. Shortly before nine o'clock, groups of people in running clothes gather near a start line, some of them experienced athletes, others pushing children in buggies or holding dogs on leads. After a short briefing, they set off on a five-kilometre course, and around half an hour later most of them are drinking tea in a nearby café. Nobody has paid to take part, and nobody has been handed a medal, yet many of them will be back again the following week.

The first of these free timed runs began in a single London park in the early 2000s, when a small group of friends decided to meet regularly and time themselves over the same course. The format was deliberately simple. Runners registered once, online, and were given a barcode, which they printed and brought with them; at the finish, volunteers scanned the barcode and a finishing token, and results were emailed later the same day. There was no entry fee, and the organisers insisted from the start that the event should remain free for everyone, a principle that has never changed.

From that single park, the idea spread steadily, first to other parts of the capital and then to towns and cities across the country. Each new event is set up by local people, who must find a suitable course, gain permission from the landowner and raise a modest sum to buy timing equipment. Once an event is running, however, it costs very little to operate, and much of the equipment can be reused for years. Events have since been started in many other countries, and there are now versions for children, held over a shorter distance on Sunday mornings.

What surprised the organisers was the type of person the runs attracted. Traditional running clubs had tended to appeal to people who were already fit and competitive, but the weekly runs drew many who had never run before. Because everyone's time is recorded, however slow it is, participants can compete against themselves rather than against others. A course record matters to only a handful of people; for the majority, the goal is simply to finish or to beat their own previous time. Walking the course is not only permitted but actively encouraged, and at most events a volunteer is given the role of finishing last, so that no participant ever has to be at the back alone.

The events depend entirely on volunteers, who act as timekeepers, marshals and scanners, and who set out and collect the course signs. Many participants volunteer occasionally, and some people who are unable to run because of injury or illness volunteer every week instead. Organisers say that the volunteer roles are as important to the community as the running itself, since they give people a reason to come along and a chance to talk to others. Some events have more than fifty volunteers on a busy morning.

Health researchers have taken a keen interest in the runs. Surveys of participants suggest that a large proportion were inactive before they began, and many report improvements not only in their fitness but in their mood and sense of belonging. Doctors in some areas now recommend the runs to patients who are lonely or anxious, as well as to those who need more exercise. Researchers caution, however, that it is difficult to know how much of the benefit comes from the exercise itself and how much from the social contact. Some participants say that the weekly run gives a shape to their week that they had lost after retirement or illness.

The rapid growth of the runs has not been without difficulty. In some parks, local councils have expressed concern about damage to grass paths and crowding on narrow routes, and in one case a council proposed charging the organisers a fee, a plan that was dropped after strong public opposition. Some regular park users also complain about the numbers involved. Organisers have responded by redesigning busy courses and by asking runners to share paths considerately. For the hundreds of thousands who take part each week, though, the Saturday run has become a fixed part of life.