Run Wales groups Vale Runners, BRF Running Club and Run Grangetown enjoyed the support of the wonderful Penarth and Dinas Runners ‘volunteer takeover’, as they converged at Cosmeston Lakes parkrun this weekend for the Run Wales Social Running Celebration Relay.
The Celebration relay provides all Run Wales registered groups with a tremendous opportunity to showcase their group, sharing information about their activities and encouraging more people to participate in social running outside of their regular weekly parkrun. We are encouraging groups to support their local parkrun by offering to volunteer as well as run, jog or walk at the relay events.
28/47: Celebration Relay Run Report – Cosmeston Lakes parkrun
Our thanks to local Run Wales group Vale Runners for their participation in the relay this week and this run report contribution:
Aren’t we lucky! Vale Runners (based in Barry) have got a wide choice of parkruns close by and we were the safe-keepers of the Run Wales Relay baton as it left Barry Island parkrun last weekend.
After taking the baton along to all our sessions this week (stay tuned for Bryn the Baton’s Blog), some of our runners ran the 6 mile route to Cosmeston Lakes parkrun on Saturday morning to hand the baton over to the next group, Run Grangetown from Cardiff.
Vale Runners started as a social running group just before the pandemic hit in 2020 and through-out that time proved to be virtual life-line to lots of people.
Since those days, it’s made us all realise that physical and mental well-being is key and that is evident by the fact that we’ve not only grown in terms of numbers, but we’ve also gained lots of new Run Leaders and now have 3 fully qualified Run Coaches.
With sessions suitable for everyone from newbie runner to marathon veterans, we’ve got the lot. Have a browse at our Instagram feed to get a feel of what we’re all about, how much fun and mischief we get up to and we’d love to see you at any of our upcoming sessions.
Back to parkrun and that baton exchange…
Cosmeston Lakes parkrun Run Director Lyn Evans announced the arrival of the Run Wales Baton, expertly delivered by Vale Run Leader Darran Moran, and with a 3, 2, 1…. the baton was passed on to Vale Run Leader Hilary James.
Hilary, along with friends from BRF Running Club ran the looped 5k route along the muddy trail paths that lead you through the beautiful surroundings of Cosmeston County Park and Lakes.
The finish line was a slip and slide finish straight into the hands of Richard from Run Grangetown, who are the next Run Wales social running group to take the Baton along the next stage of it’s journey. Good luck Run Grangetown, it was lovely to meet you.
Thanks to local Run Wales group BRF Running Club for this run report contribution:
This week there was a chance of catching up with the Run Wales relay baton. I first met the baton when myself and Jacqueline West visited Gnoll parkrun, being keen parkrun tourists from BRF Running Club, on the 10th of December 2022.
The RD mentioned it to me so I could add it to my run report and I took a photo of Louise Hogan who was representing For the Love of Trails South Wales and carrying the baton that week.
If you are not totally aware of what is going on, the idea behind the baton is to promote social running with a celebration relay around all the parkruns in Wales. While also not just running or walking the parkruns but also volunteering at them too.
The baton started its travels at Nova Prestatyn parkrun on the 2nd of July 2022. Last week the Barry running club Seriously Mad Runners had the baton at Barry Island parkrun and passed it onto Vale Runners, another running club in Barry. They were so attached to the baton it made an appearance in their Tuesday bleep test session!
They then decided to run with it from Barry Island leaving at 7.30am Saturday morning for the run to Cosmeston Lakes ready for the start of parkrun.
Darran Moran, Vale Runners run leader, led the baton charge and handed the baton over to Hilary Davis James, also a run leader with Vale and a former RD at Cosmeston Lakes parkrun. She then ran around the parkrun with it.
Having met up with the baton at Gnoll it was lovely to see it progress to my 2 local parkruns and be in the hands of people I know and sometimes run with. I have been given the honour of writing about it and being a keen parkrun tourist I am keen to see it progress onto the next parkrun.
The next social running club Run Grangetown were collecting it from Cosmeston Lakes parkrun and it will make it’s next appearance at Grangemoor parkrun next week.
I met Rich Carr from Run Grangetown, who collected the baton today, and I also chatted to him, Chris Frowen and Leon Hughes about their club.
The club have been going since November 2016 and do two runs a week, parkrun and a long run Sunday.
All three Barry clubs, Seriously Mad Runners, Vale Runners and BRF Running Club can be found on Facebook. SMR does two running sessions on Monday and Thursday nights, Vale do three sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights with a long run usually on a Sunday. BRF do 4 sessions a week on Monday and Thursday nights and Tuesday and Friday mornings.
All groups have something to offer any runners with any ability, with BRF also running two successful Couch to 5K groups over the last few years. Hopefully it is not the last time BRF will be involved in the baton progress around the various parkruns.
This week 105 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 23 were first timers and 16 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 19 different clubs took part.
The event was made possible by 30 volunteers:
Abyd QUINN AZIZ • Kay NELLINS • Mandy BARRINGTON • Lisa CLEARY • Lyn EVANS • Helen SHARPE • Ian David WARBURTON • Bethan VAUGHAN CARTWRIGHT • Louise HUNT • Catherine BARKER • Luke TRICKLEBANK • James GEORGE • Simon WILLIAMSON • Jane EVANS • Sarah MARTIN • Debbie WILLIAMS • Owen SULLIVAN • Andrea GOODFELLOW • Steve GOODFELLOW • Jan FROST • Mark CARTER • Matthew GWENTER • Kathryn PETERSEN • Nathan PIDDOCK • Kay ROGERS • Ross FLANIGAN • Nick MORGAN • Joshua RIGHTON • Penny RICHARDSON • Clementine ANDREWS
Today’s full results and a complete event history can be found on the Cosmeston Lakes parkrun Results Page. You will also find a link here to volunteer at the event!
Cosmeston Lakes parkrun started on 7th December 2019. Since then 3,667 participants have completed 10,740 parkruns covering a total distance of 53,700 km, including 1,981 new Personal Bests. A total of 324 individuals have volunteered 2,041 times.
Run Grangetown are really looking forward to supporting the relay at Grangemoor parkrun next week. The baton will then move onto Trelai Park parkrun the following week and Llanishen Park parkrun the week after.
Every week is a new parkrun destination before it ends up finishing in Cardiff parkrun over a year since it started.
Take a look at our Relay HQ to see how your social running group can take part!