Whether you’re British or an international tourist, meeting the locals when travelling to a city is always a perk. If you’re looking to get involved with Brummies during your stay at Park Regis Birmingham, why not do it whilst getting fit? That’s what Parkruns are all about.
What is it?
But what exactly is a Parkrun? Well, it’s an organised timed 5K run, normally in available parkland within a city at 9am every week without fail. The best part? It’s open to anyone and 100% free! From the olympic athlete next door to your 5 year-old cousin and your 80 year-old grandma. There is no rule about how you go about the route—as long as you use your own two legs, you can run it, walk it and catch up on the gossip while striding round.
The weekly run brings together all those of the community looking for a bit of green in their lives on a Saturday morning whilst perhaps also wanting to get fit, get a free 5K time, or just to meet some like-minded people for a chat.
How does it work?
Entering is easy, register for Parkrun here. Afterwards, you should print off a personalised barcode. The next step is to rock up at the Parkrun closest to you, and be ready for 9am—don’t be late! When you finish, a volunteer will give you token scanned with your finish time. You’ll hand that same token to another volunteer, who scans it along with your barcode to link them together. A few hours later, you’ll have a time and position on the Parkrun website. It really is as simple as that.
Volunteering
If you would like to get involved but running around a park really isn’t your thing, then you can easily volunteer for the various jobs that need fulfilling in order for Parkruns to happen. Check with your local Parkrun beforehand to offer your services. Your fellow Parkrunners will be glad of your help, be it setting up or taking down the markers for the route, helping out with parking to ensure as many people as possible can participate, to handing out tokens as runners finish. If volunteering still doesn’t take to your fancy, then why not rock up just to cheer people along and feel like a local!
Why join in?
The great thing about Parkruns is the feeling of being involved, whether that’s actively running for a PB or helping on the sidelines. Oftentimes participants organise a get together somewhere afterwards for those that fancy a real opportunity to get to know locals and travellers alike. Have a chat with fellow participants over freshly baked scones, full English breakfasts, and cups of tea. Again, check with your local parkrun beforehand.
Park Regis Birmingham is ideally situated to participate in the Cannon Hill Parkrun, Birmingham, just a 10-minute drive away from the hotel. Our recommendation to get the most out of this great community event is go to enjoy, take hydration, don’t be shy, and don’t forget your barcode. We may even see you there.
