Do you want to improve the health and wellbeing of you and your team? If so, the Northern Pathway Parkrun could be for you.
Twenty years ago, 13 mates got together for a casual run around a park in London, England. Little did they know at the time that this would turn into a global event called ‘parkrun’, which now has 2,534 events worldwide (43 in New Zealand) and still growing. Globally, there are 9 million+ registered participants and each Saturday in this country there are approximately 7,000 people (plus 650-700 volunteers) doing a parkrun event.
What is parkrun? Put simply, it’s a free 5km timed community activity held on a measured course with each event being operated by local volunteers and held every Saturday morning starting at 8am. The emphasis is on having fun while exercising. It’s not a race as participants are encouraged to do the distance at whatever pace suits them best – walk, jog, run or volunteer. Nobody comes last as there’s a tailwalker volunteer who makes sure everyone is safe and completes the course.
Everyone is made welcome at parkrun as there’s an emphasis on providing a safe, fully inclusive environment where it’s all about participation, not how fast you can run. Reported benefits include improved physical health, increased socialisation, satisfaction from volunteering and the related “feel good factor” that helps with mental health and overall wellbeing.
Participating at parkrun is easy. You simply register online once only, download and print your barcode or save onto your mobile and then you can participate in any parkrun event wherever they’re located in New Zealand or globally. Be warned – it’s addictive and you can find yourself planning trips and holidays around the location of parkruns (parkrun tourism is a thing)!!
Of the 43 NZ parkruns there are currently 8 in the greater Auckland district with 4 of these in the wider North Shore area and Northern Pathway parkrun being the most recent addition. Having started in early November 2023 and now up to its 20th event there have already been 789 total participants and 121 individuals have volunteered. On average, there are 60+ parkrunners (yes, that’s what we’re called!) at each event and this number will grow as this new parkrun becomes more established.
Usually, the tailwalker is finished by 9am (the average time per parkrunner is approximately 32 minutes), the gear is quickly packed away then it’s off to the café for food, coffee, and friendly chat. It’s a great way to start the weekend and then everyone heads off to do whatever they’ve got planned for the next couple of days.
Why is parkrun good for local businesses?
- It’s a simple (and free) addition to your employee wellbeing programme.
- Great for team building activities – you and your staff get along to parkrun as a team and encourage each other while exercising and can pitch in to help as volunteers (e.g. we hold “take over” events where a club or business can provide the volunteers and receive promotional exposure as a result).
- Local businesses benefit from visitor spending in the area – Euro Deli can attest to the uplift in Saturday morning trade, and we know that local retail, food, hospitality and accommodation providers are being supported by our parkrunners.
- The North Shore and Albany area benefit from an increased profile especially through social media posts that go nationwide and overseas (so far, we’ve had tourists join us from the likes of Australia, UK, USA and South Africa).
There’s more to parkrun than meets the eye and we encourage anyone interested to try it out for themselves and bring family, friends and workmates along. Dogs on short handheld leads are welcome as well.
For more information, check out the links in this article, the Facebook page or Strava club (search for ‘Northern Pathway parkrun’). Feel free to contact the volunteer Event Director (Scott Arrol) at northernpathway@parkrun.com or phone 021-414681. Scott is available to visit and discuss parkrun with you and your team, answer questions and identify how parkrun can add value to your business.
Where? The start/finish area is on the Corinthian Drive side of the Tirohanga Whanui bridge and can be accessed from the path by the pedestrian crossing on Corinthian Drive. From the start, participants go across the bridge (the only parkrun in the world that crosses SH1 twice!) and follow the 5km course that utilises the shared northern pathway. They then cross back over the bridge to the finish where their time is recorded. They will receive an email later that day that provides the full results (it’s not a race but most people like to see how they’ve done that day).
There’s a first-timers welcome and a safety briefing provided (arrive no later than 7.45am for these) and then the start is at 8.00am.
