With over 100 runners and 21 volunteers, the much anticipated launch of the Okehampton parkrun has been a success.
The event held on Saturday, October 26 at Simmons Park will be a weekly event starting at 9am.
The 5k run is free of charge and starts on the public footpath between OCRA's Pavilion in the Park and Okehampton Argyle's clubhouse.
Ian Blythe, event director of Simmons parkrun, said: "A massive thanks to the 21 volunteers who made our first event a success. It was amazing to see the 121 parkrunners and walkers complete the course after trying to get the event launched for so long. 1922 days to be exact!
“Okehampton now has a free, family-friendly opportunity to improve physical and mental health every Saturday morning. Our central location means that the community can walk down each week or park in Simmons Park or Mill Road car parks.”
The Simmons parkrun is one of 1289 parkruns that take place across the UK every Saturday and is run by volunteers and a core team of run directors.
Ian Blythe continued: “Volunteering is at the heart of the event and giving back to the community for an hour will help hundreds of people feel better. After volunteering, we meet socially over a coffee in the Pavilion Cafe.”
Each volunteer is given simple roles and full training
It took five years for Okehampton to finally host their own parkrun as the team had to ensure the route met the condition of the parkrun’s rules as well as the landowners.
The run welcomes everyone to walk, jog, run, volunteer or a combination in a positive, welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.
The Simmons Park parkrun also has no time limit and no one finishes last.
The journey to bringing parkrun to Okehampton has been supported by the landowners that host the route, Okehampton Town Council, Okehampton College and Okehampton United Charities.
Okehampton United Charities, Okehampton Town Council, North Dartmoor Primary Care Network and Active Devon provided the funding to set the event up.
To volunteer or ask questions, contact [email protected]
