Bathurst parkrun aiming for biggest year yet, starts 2019 with double | Photos

The people in those shoes are all running with different personal goals in mind but are united under the parkrun banner.

Bathurst parkrun has been going strong for over two years now, giving people the opportunity to enjoy a five kilometre run at whatever pace they desire.

On Tuesday the Bathurst event enjoyed a special New Years Day edition to begin what organisers hope will be the biggest year yet for the free, timed event.

Bathurst pakrun has gained a loyal following on both a participant and volunteer front.

The event has consistently pulled more than 200 runners every Saturday and even during the recent Christmas Day event reached the triple figure mark.

The event isn’t possible without the support of volunteers who fill roles such as race directing, timekeeping and marshalling.

Regular race director and event organiser Jenn Arnold said a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to put a successful day together.

“We’re seeing different names volunteering every week. There’s a core group of people who are regular volunteers, and we certainly appreciate those, but it’s nice to see people for the first time putting their hand up and saying they want to help out,” she said.

“We had one woman who injured her knee at home and she was in tears when she was able to get back to parkrun, not to run or walk it, but to volunteer because she physically couldn’t get out of the house.

“For about six to eight weeks in a row she came back volunteering and was in tears saying that parkrun was such a big part of her life and she was thrilled to return.”

Bathurst’s biggest parkrun showing came in April where 322 people participated.

The event broke the 300 mark again in November and with some more favourable weather on their side Arnold hopes a new record can be reached.

“When we started parkrun nearly two and a half years ago we were sure that it would take off. There’s a really strong running community in Bathurst that’s grown and grown,” she said.

“At parkrun there’s people who use it as part of their training for something bigger … and for others it’s the start of their fitness journey where they can be a part of a really safe and inclusive environment. There’s no expectation to run the whole distance, or even run at all.

“In summer at the moment it’s quite hot and that can be a challenge. It’s half an hour to an hour out of your morning so it’s not as bad as you’d think in the heat.

“Come autumn time though I feel like we’ll have no troubles in getting closer to that 400 mark.”