It was a moment that could have ended everything before it even began.

Tom Singh sat on the edge of his bed, struggling to tie his shoelaces.

No matter how he contorted himself, he couldn’t reach them without squatting awkwardly on the floor. The weight he had been carrying, both physically and mentally, had finally become too much.

“I was gaining considerable weight,” Singh recalls. “This was the trigger that I needed to exercise and lose this excess weight.”

That moment of frustration became the catalyst for a journey that would span eight years, transform his health and introduce him to an entire community of friends he never expected to find.

On June 24, 2017, Singh completed his first parkrun at Grey Goose. The time was 48:55. He walked the entire 5km. It was cold, it was lonely and he didn’t know many people.

“I walked the full 5km,” he says modestly.

But he showed up. And that made all the difference.

Singh’s introduction to parkrun wasn’t entirely his own doing. His son, who had already completed some events, encouraged him to give it a try.

“But it was a work colleague, Rob Charters, who ‘forced’ the decision upon me by registering me on parkrun.”

The first event wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, Singh didn’t return for almost five months.

“My second parkrun was almost five months later on November 11, 2017,” he says. “It was only at the beginning of 2018 when I started to attend parkrun on a regular basis.”

Those early days were marked by more than just physical challenges. Singh admits to a fear of walking alone in his neighbourhood, specifically a fear of being attacked by dogs.

“I need to thank my work colleagues, Rob Charters and Fanie Conradie, for all their support, encouragement and motivational talks during the early days of my parkrun journey,” he says.

From the first 5km to 250-milestone

Every milestone begins with a single moment of inspiration. For Singh, that moment came during a parkrun at Grey Goose.

“Someone ran past me wearing a 250-Milestone T-shirt and I thought, I can do that,” he recalls.

By then, he was already a regular. The goal seemed ‘a no-brainer’.

Now that he has achieved the 250-milestone, Singh’s sights are set even higher. “The next goal is to finish 500 parkruns,” he says with quiet determination.

When asked what kept him getting out of bed on cold, wet mornings, Singh’s answer is immediate and unequivocal.

“Parkrun is like an addiction,” he says. “It is something I look forward to all week and is generally the highlight of my weekend.”

His family has adapted to his absence on Saturday mornings.

“They have made peace with parkrun and try to plan their lives around it,” Singh explains. “Without their support and understanding, I definitely would not have reached the 250 milestone.”

The transformation has been profound. “Parkrun has changed my life for the better,” he says simply.

Beyond the physical benefits, Singh cites the social aspect as one of his biggest motivations.

“Parkrun has become a social event,” he says. “I have met some incredible people at parkrun whom I would never have met if I had not joined.”

There’s particular joy in watching others catch the same bug.

“It gives me lots of joy to see that some people have become regular parkrunners and walkers due to my constant nagging for them to do so,” he says with a laugh.

Special recognition goes to the unsung heroes who keep parkrun alive in Newcastle.

“Gwyneth and Athol Root are there almost every Saturday, organising and driving the event forward,” Singh says. “They fill multiple volunteer roles every Saturday and their mission of keeping parkrun alive in Newcastle has resulted in them having more volunteer credits compared to parkrun/walk credits.”

Then there’s Ralph Vasbender, who delivers the equipment and does the setup and course check every Saturday without fail. “It doesn’t matter what the weather is, you will find Ralph doing his stuff every Saturday,” Singh says.

“A lot of effort goes into arranging and holding parkrun every Saturday, and I do not think that the parkrunners and walkers fully appreciate the efforts of these individuals.”

Every journey has its crown jewels. For Singh, the absolute best run came in August 2023 when the very first parkrun was held at Rooi Point Farm.

“A lot of time and effort was spent in setting up this parkrun, and we need to thank Gwyneth and Athol Root for making it happen,” he says. “There was a time of approximately four months when we did not have a parkrun in Newcastle, so we are indeed blessed to have Rooi Point Farm parkrun.”

But the journey has also included its share of hurdles. On November 1, 2025, Singh experienced a frightening incident.

“It was a warm morning, but not excessively hot,” he recalls. “I completed parkrun at my normal pace and time. After scanning, I was getting a drink of water. The next thing I remember is lots of people around me, including my daughters, and someone giving me something to drink.”

He had collapsed. A five-day hospital stay followed, with extensive tests revealing only vertigo in one ear, possibly a result of the fall.

“Touch wood, I have been fine ever since,” Singh says. “The only change I have made was to slow down my pace, and I am now running between 29 and 30 minutes.”

Sometimes the best memories come from the days when you almost didn’t go.

On September 21, 2024, Singh’s team was on volunteer duty. They woke up to thick snow.

“As run director, I was very tempted to cancel for the day,” he admits. “Fortunately, sanity prevailed.”

He pitched up at Rooi Point Farm to find a small group of dedicated parkrunners, walkers and volunteers – including Lesley in his finest Sunday clothes.

“It was amazing walking and running in the snow while it was still snowing, and feeling the light snowflakes falling upon you,” Singh says. “Definitely the best parkrun ever.”

When the Covid-19 lockdown cancelled parkrun, Singh felt the loss keenly. “The Covid-19 lockdown was the worst ever, but done for very good reasons,” he says.

Fortunately, ‘not parkrun’ was introduced and Singh completed a number of these unofficial events when restrictions were lifted, ensuring that he still got his weekly exercise.

The return to official parkrun was emotional. “Meeting up with old friends again,” he recalls. “While there was joy in the air, there was also sadness. Unfortunately, Covid-19 claimed some family and friends, so the parkrun environment had changed.”

Safety concerns lingered and many ran or walked wearing masks.

When asked in one sentence what parkrun has done for him, Singh’s answer is clear: “I have lost the excess weight and am fitter and more confident than before parkrun.”

He maintains the ideal split between running and volunteering, currently running three times a week, including parkrun.

“I foresee no changes there, as long as my body and health are speaking the same language as I am,” he says.

Beyond the 500 goal, Singh is eyeing the A-Z parkrun challenge – completing events at locations beginning with every letter of the alphabet.

Singh’s commitment extends well beyond participation. He has volunteered in every role available, from static positions like run director, timer, tokens, and scanning, to pre-race setup, course check, post-race cleanup, tail walker, park walker, and marshal positions.

His favourite role? Handing out the tokens.

“It gives me the opportunity to speak a few words to the parkrunners and walkers as they finish,” he explains. “Many a long friendship is created during these few minutes and I am grateful for it.”

Volunteering has given him a different perspective on parkrun.

“As mentioned previously, parkrun has changed my life for the better, and volunteering is one way of giving back,” Singh says. “It is immensely rewarding to volunteer, knowing that without volunteers, parkrun would not exist.”

The inspiration to start volunteering came from seeing others, many of whom were not active runners or walkers, regularly giving up their Saturday mornings.

“If they can give up their Saturday morning, then surely I can give up seven or eight parkruns per year to volunteer,” he reasoned.

It was Rob Charters who first approached him to volunteer. Now Singh has formed his own volunteer team.

His message to those who have never volunteered is direct and heartfelt: “People come to parkrun for various reasons with different objectives. You are getting some benefit from taking part or you would not be here. It’s time to give something back.”

“We desperately need more volunteers in the static positions of timers, tokens and scanning. These are the key volunteer positions without which there will not be a parkrun.

“It will be a huge shame if we were to arrive at parkrun one Saturday morning to find that the event has been cancelled due to a lack of static volunteers. So please volunteer; it’s the right thing to do.”

For someone about to attempt their very first parkrun, Singh’s advice is simple and heartfelt: “Forget what anyone says; parkrun is the best, so just enjoy it.”

As Singh reflects on his journey from that difficult morning trying to tie his shoelaces to standing at 250 parkruns, the transformation is undeniable.

His weight is under control. His fitness has improved dramatically. His confidence has grown. And he has built a community of friends who feel like family.

“My family has adapted to my absence from home on Saturday mornings,” he says. “Parkrun is like an addiction. It is something I look forward to all week.”

With 500 in his sights and the A-Z challenge on his mind, Singh shows no signs of slowing down.

“I foresee no changes, as long as my body and health are speaking the same language as I am,” he says.

The man who once struggled to tie his shoelaces without squatting on the floor now looks forward to every Saturday morning with the enthusiasm of a true convert.

Because parkrun isn’t just something Tom Singh does; it’s who he has become!

The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us on our WhatsApp Channel