Student Life October 2019
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MY PARKRUN EXPERIENCE<br />
BY COURTNEY TURNER<br />
My parkrun experience began in the latter<br />
half of the year 2012 when I was 10 years<br />
old. I started going to parkrun as my dad<br />
had been running at the event since it<br />
first came about in Ipswich (on the 8th<br />
September 2012) and he encouraged<br />
me to give it a go, I was not a big fan of<br />
running to begin with and I could not<br />
manage to finish a parkrun. When I started<br />
in 2012 at Ipswich parkrun, I would run<br />
with my Auntie. She would try each week<br />
to get me to finish a parkrun and would<br />
push me round. The first ever parkrun<br />
I completed was on the 4th May 2013<br />
and I managed to finish in 41:02 with my<br />
Auntie’s help.<br />
Parkrun is something that anyone of any<br />
age can participate in and it allows you to<br />
make new friends from all different age<br />
groups. Being able to make new friends<br />
has helped massively in boosting my<br />
confidence and has helped to improve my<br />
communication skills. Parkrun also spurred<br />
me on to continue running each week as I<br />
was excited to see the friends I had made<br />
and it also kept me fit and healthy as I was<br />
able to get regular exercise.<br />
Within the world of parkrun, there are<br />
milestones that you can achieve; when<br />
you have run 10, 50, 100 and 250 parkruns<br />
you receive a t-shirt that recognises<br />
the achievements. I have a passion<br />
for parkrun, and attend weekly which<br />
consequently means that I have worked<br />
through the ranks of t-shirts. My proudest<br />
park running moment was being the first<br />
under 18 in Suffolk to receive a t-shirt for<br />
250 parkruns! By doing parkrun, I want to<br />
show that however old you are, running<br />
is a great and fun way of exercising and<br />
keeping fit.<br />
I would like everyone to know<br />
that parkrun is not a race and<br />
everybody should feel welcome,<br />
runner or not.<br />
I believe that parkrun has made me into<br />
the runner I am today. I’ve had many<br />
people over the years help and push<br />
me to be my best and achieve my best<br />
time parkrun time, which is 23:47. I now<br />
enjoy helping others to excel and push<br />
themselves to the best of their abilities.<br />
In my opinion, starting Parkrun all those<br />
years ago was the best decision of my life<br />
as it has benefitted my mental and physical<br />
health and I urge others to get involved!<br />
74 • OCTOBER <strong>2019</strong> • STUDENT LIFE
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