Return of parkrun in England set for June 5
The popular series of weekly 5km parkrun events are set to resume in England on June 5.
With Government restrictions lifting, the events could technically re-start much earlier, but parkrun organisers are taking a safety-first approach that gives event organisers and landowners plenty of time to prepare.
Plus, after being without the Saturday morning ritual for almost an entire year, waiting another three months does not seem too bad.
Junior parkrun over 2km, however, is set to make its return on April 11 – one week after the busy Easter weekend period – for just 4-10-year-olds to begin with. Children aged 11 will have to be patient for a little longer, but they will be able to volunteer or spectate to start with.
“Excitingly, for the first time in six months, we now see a realistic timeframe for the return of 5km events in England,” said Nick Pearson, chief executive of parkrun.
Attempts last autumn to bring parkrun back in late October were scuppered by a second wave of the coronavirus which ultimately led to an English lockdown in November. But now there is more optimism about a successful return. However, parkrun are taking things carefully.
“Unlike junior parkrun, which can return in phases, our 5km events need to all come back at the same time, with the definition of ‘all’ probably being something north of 90%,” Pearson explained via a statement. “This is due to the relatively large attendances, and significant opportunity for tourism, meaning that if only a subset of 5km events opened they would very likely be overwhelmed with unmanageable levels of attendance.”
He added: “Based on the published guidance, our 5km events could technically return from Saturday 4 April. However, due to the other national restrictions in place, the expected level of infection at that time, and a number of our 5km events regularly exceeding 1000 participants, we do not believe it would be appropriate for them to return this early.”
The situation is not as clear in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, though. “As things stand we are unable to pinpoint a date for returning either junior or 5km parkrun across these three devolved nations, but we continue to work closely with relevant authorities and stakeholders to understand when it may be appropriate,” said Pearson.
When parkrun is back, too, there are likely to be bans on high fives and spitting, plus courses might be tweaked to create larger start and finish areas. Pre-race briefings will be shorter and hand sanitisers will be available to volunteers, while a contactless scanning process for finishing tokens will be introduced.
The news will be well received in the running world as the last parkrun events in the UK were on March 14 last year. If the June 5 return is met, it means there are less than 100 days to go before it restarts.
“Bringing back parkrun events is a huge step for so many of us toward the return of normal life,” said Pearson. “Of course nothing is guaranteed and there is still, understandably, some uncertainty and trepidation within the community. But working towards these dates gives us all hope.”
This follows similarly promising news from England Athletics this week relating to track and field and running generally. EA's road map to a return for the sport begins on March 8 with athletics resuming in schools and colleges.
On March 29 outdoor athletics facilities can open with outdoor training and competition set to resume as long as events have a licence. Some restrictions will remain, though, such as a ban on spectators.
On April 12 intra-club competitions can resume without a licence and indoor facilities can reopen for individual use or household groups or for under-18s and athletes with disabilities.
Outdoor competition will resume more normally from May 17 with travel restrictions likely to be lifted. Then, on June 21, EA say there are likely to be "no legal limits on social contact" with club activity and competitions returning to normal.
The road map back to running and track & field from England Athletics. 😷 pic.twitter.com/E2EMfqOwP7
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 24, 2021
Further details on the road map to return from England Athletics can be seen by clicking here.
Scottish Athletics' guidance can be seen by clicking here.
Welsh Athletics' advice can be seen by clicking here.
Advice for athletes in Northern Ireland can be seen by clicking here.
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