What started with just 13 runners and five volunteers in a London park 22 years ago has grown into a worldwide community of almost 13 million registered participants.

Parkrun officially celebrated its 22nd birthday on October 2, marking the anniversary of the very first event held at Bushy Park in Teddington, London, on October 2, 2004.

The first parkrun

That first event had only 13 finishers and five volunteers. Paul and Joanne Sinton-Hewitt were among those involved, together with volunteers Duncan Gaskell, Alan Hedger and Robin Drummond.

Today, parkrun has grown to more than 3 000 locations around the world, with millions of people taking part as runners, walkers, volunteers and supporters.

A simple idea that keeps growing

The anniversary is also a reminder of how far the simple idea has come – bringing people together on a Saturday morning for a free, timed 5km event.

Vryheid has become part of that global parkrun story, with the local event attracting runners, walkers and volunteers from the community each week.

From those first 13 finishers in Bushy Park to thousands of events taking place around the world every weekend, parkrun has certainly come a long way in 22 years.

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.