Well-known parkrun in support of fitness and community

The Florida parkrun is well-known among residents for its friendly and community atmosphere

Every Saturday at 8:00 residents from all over can come to enjoy the parkrun at Len Rutter Park. Solely to keep fit, the 5km run is completely free. Every Saturday runners, whether it is professional athletes or novices, come to enjoy the community atmosphere while looking out for their health. Friends, families, and even furry friends can join in the run. If a person however does not see themselves as a runner, they can also walk the trail or volunteer as a timekeeper, a scanner, a tail walker, or just encourage those running.

Alida Perumal, a regular volunteer at the run explained she used to walk the trail and eventually volunteered as a tail walker. She noted she saw they were looking for volunteers and by volunteering as a tail walker she could help them and still get her walk in. She continued that in her culture which is Muslim they don’t eat or drink during the month of Ramadan. So instead of walking, she helps out as a timekeeper. She added they need volunteers to help out and she likes volunteering.

Andre Sinclair completed his 50th parkrun on September 16.

“It is a good achievement for me because I only started doing the parkrun in May last year,” he stated.

His time in total was 25:50. He explains the parkrun is a great way for him to keep fit and he uses the opportunity as training for the races he competes in on Sundays.

Justin Brown, another runner stated the parkrun is a great way to see different places, he has completed his 97th parkrun and taken part in 90 different parkruns up to date, in as far as Kimberley, Mpumalanga and even Namibia. He continued he has been into fitness since a young age, taking part in track and field in school and he’s a regular at marathons. He has even competed in the Tsitsikamma trail run.

He said, “The parkrun is great, it is a friendly environment and free to take part in.”

Brown encouraged his friends to also join in. Jason Woosey and his wife also take part in the run. He explained it is a ‘friendly and nice vibe’ as well as encouraging with the volunteers cheering the runners on. He added the parkrun is ‘a great way to benchmark one’s fitness, by keeping time you can track your level of fitness’.

Ludwich Pretorius, a runner who completed his 57th parkrun noted, “The parkrun is a good way to keep fit, it is also a good community effort and you get to know people.”

Peder Nielsen Firman and Bryan Dear are two regulars at the weekly run. Dear said he finished his 72nd run on September 16. Dear explained it is encouraging to get closer to his 100th run. Firman mentioned the parkrun gets him out of bed in the morning and out into the open. He concluded at a total of 238 parkruns now, he is waiting for his 500th run, but he also volunteers regularly

Gielie Nel is aiming for his 250th run after completing his 220th. He stated the whole family gets together to participate in the run, in July he and his son even took part in two runs in the UK, where his daughter lives. He said the parkrun is just ‘super’ and he even volunteers after his run if he notices a shortage of volunteers.

Lauren Penkin and her furry friend Bailey use the parkrun as their time together each week. She explained she does the parkrun to keep fit and get out and she would encourage others to do it as well as it’s a great way to get stronger.