At 78, Stephen Lane has completed 500 parkruns, but this grandfather says the milestone has never been about the number of runs.

For him, Saturday mornings are about friendship, community and staying active, reports Roodepoort Record.

Lane completed his 500th parkrun on Saturday (August 1), nearly 12 years after his daughter encouraged him to join her at the Roodepoort event

He completed his first parkrun there in September 2014 and was immediately drawn to the atmosphere.

“When I did my first parkrun, it was amazing to see all the families doing it. Grandpa, grandma, mom, dad, children, wheelchairs and dogs altogether. I thought, this is for me,” he said.

Since then, parkrun has become a regular part of Lane’s Saturday mornings, allowing him to stay active while building lasting friendships.

“I enjoy going every Saturday to see my friends and meet new people,” he said.

From road running to volunteering

Lane could have reached 500 runs sooner had it not been for his years competing in organised races.

“I used to run for Florida Running Club and did a lot of 10km and 21km registered runs on Saturday and missed parkrun,” he said.

His contribution to parkrun extends beyond running. Lane has volunteered 143 times and has also completed parkruns outside South Africa.

His personal best is 29:03, recorded at Rushcliffe parkrun in England. He has also completed several South African parkruns in under 30 minutes, although he admits he has slowed down with age.

“In my late 60s and early 70s, I could do under 30 minutes. Now I am happy with 35 or 36 minutes,” he said.

With 500 runs now behind him, Lane has his sights set on another milestone: volunteering 250 times.

He said reaching 500 runs has given him more freedom to volunteer without worrying about maintaining his running total.

Lane is particularly passionate about encouraging more people to volunteer, saying parkrun depends on people willing to give up their Saturday mornings.

“Volunteers do not receive any benefits from parkrun South Africa and give up their time freely on Saturday morning. I would recommend people become volunteers, as without volunteers there will be no parkrun,” he said.

Inclusive events welcome all paces

He also encourages anyone who has never taken part in a parkrun to give it a try.

“I would recommend people try at least one parkrun. Once they see how the families enjoy themselves and how friendly everybody is, they will be hooked,” he said.

Roodepoort parkruns typically attract between 400 and 500 participants. Lane said the inclusive nature of the events means runners of all abilities can take part, with no cut-off time.

“The first person does it in 18 minutes and the last person in about one hour 15 minutes. Two of the volunteers called tail walkers stay behind the last person. The other volunteers include timekeepers, position keepers and scanners, who will only pack up once the tail walker arrives. So no matter how slow you are, you will get an official finish. There is no cut-off time,” he said.

For Lane, that sense of inclusion is what has kept him returning for almost 12 years.

“I still enjoy parkrun and as long as my body can handle it, I will do it. Hopefully far into my 80s,” he said.

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