Small steps lead to bigger goals

At just nine years old, Sarah Storm Lopes completed her 50th parkrun event just ahead of her 10th birthday.

The journey to this achievement began when Sarah was just three years old, watching her father, Paulo Lopes, set up the parkrun course in 2018. At that time, Paulo was the Run Director, and little did anyone know that Sarah, even as a toddler, was already developing an appreciation for the event.

Sarah completed her first official parkrun at the age of eight in 2023, marking the start of her own running journey. Inspired by her father’s participation and the joy of being part of the parkrun community, Sarah was determined to set her own goals.

“Watching my father run made me realise that I could do this too,” she says. This realisation sparked her motivation to start running regularly and, soon enough, she was crossing the finish line alongside other runners.

For Sarah, her parkrun journey is about more than just completing events; it’s about staying healthy, having fun, and spending quality time with her family and friends. She has also set an ambitious goal of completing 100 parkruns before she turns 14.

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Achieving her 50th parkrun milestone felt especially sweet. With one weekend to spare before her 10th birthday, Sarah reached her goal of completing 50 runs.

“I’m really happy and relieved to have achieved my goal,” she says with a bright smile, having exceeded her own expectations.