Wormwood Scrubs Park Run

c/o Park Run Flickr photo pool

Every Saturday morning a group of locals start to gather on Wormwood Scrubs, just at the back of the hospital car park. They’re getting ready for the weekly 5 K “park run” which was launched with the support of the Council back in May last year.

I run on the Scrubs regularly anyway but shamefully only got round to attending my first Park Run in May this year, which I enjoyed tremendously. Back then there were about 20 odd people, from a range of backgrounds and who included everyone from almost professional level running through to people who were only really starting out on a fitness regime.

Last Saturday, having gone a bit easier on the Friday night post-work drinks, I went along to my second run. It was as well organised as the first, entirely by volunteers, but the real difference was the numbers. I would say there were at least 60 people who'd turned out and apparently there had been over 70 the week before. No doubt the Olympics have played their part in inspiring people, which is no bad thing.

So the point of the article is to encourage more of you to take part – you really won't regret it and 5K is a distance that most people can manage even if they don’t run regularly. For a free event it’s spectacularly good and you even get a time by signing up to the ParkRun website beforehand and bringing along a printed barcode they’ll email you. That way you can track your progress and measure your improvement. Or, if you’re like me coming off the back of months of not running at all, marvel at how much fitness you have to recapture!

Give it a go – the run starts at 0900 every Saturday and it’s well worth making the effort for. After each run there is a tea/coffee thing at the Thames Harriers club house inside Linford Christie Stadium.

See you there!