Run Wales Participation Officer, Hannah Phillips continued her tour of local parkrun events by joining Roberttown Road Runners at Penallta parkrun as the Run Wales Social Running Celebration Relay baton was handed over to the Valleys Nordic Walking group for a change of pace this week!
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.
24/47: Celebration Relay Run Report – Penallta parkrun
For someone who’s been involved in parkrun for the past decade, I find it really odd that I’ve done so few… that is before I remind myself that, with three children it’s pretty tough to get up on Saturday mornings when there’s no metaphorical gun to your head, so to speak.
But, after today, I’m really unsure to why I’ve never been to Penallta parkrun before.
I should give a huge thank you to my friend Andrew at this point. Andrew turned up, just as I wandering around the Caerphilly Council buildings wondering where the parkrun actually was (no sense of direction here, whatsoever) and steered me to a very cheery start place.
Penallta is lovely.
Anouska, the Run Director of todays meet actually said in the new runners brief, ‘this is actually the best parkrun in the world!’ And not that I’m making any black and white, sign my name, statements here, but… I will say, it’s up there!
Did you know I’m training to be a psychotherapist? Not that you should, or that it has any relevance here, but, during my training, I’ve learnt to put people into relaxation mode. Anouska did this with her description of the course! I don’t think I’ve ever been so 1) relaxed, 2) excited to explore a run.
‘Let me reccomend that you take in the view!’ She said, and, nine hours on I’m still mad with myself for choosing to stare at a fella’s (who was pretty much at my pace for the out and back) calves the whole blinking 5km, not the view, but this means I have to go back I suppose.
Anyway, back to business, the Run Wales Relay and the reason I was at Penallta.
I met good ole’ Glyn (from the Robbie’s) and met Sian (Valleys Nordic Walking) and captured that beautiful moment the baton was passed between groups and genuinely felt my heart swell a bit.
It especially puffed up, my heart that is, when Sian thanked me, as in Run Wales, for recognising and supporting Nordic Walking as a wider exercise and well-being provision. This is what we’re here for!
Anyway, before I knew it the welcome was up and off we went.
Twisting through the park in the drizzle, in a field of well over 100 runners, I was reminded why I love parkrun and why I’m always cross with myself that I don’t make it more often.
It really is great.
You do your own thing, in your own time, with zero pressure and a milllion percent support.
I loved all the personal signs on the course and the Marshals were stand out fantastic!
But, the highlight of my whole Penallta experience were the two pugs I met at the very end of the finishing tunnel, before the scanners.
In fact, they brought me so much joy I’m considering writing to parkrun HQ to see if pugs (you could do a lot with the marketing to be fair) can be part of the compulsory kit for every parkrun, what do you think?
This week 161 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 17 were first timers and 18 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 24 different clubs took part.
The event was made possible by 16 wonderful volunteers:
Malcolm PARKER • David TAPPER • Michael HEARE • William Barrie LEWIS • Anouska BEAUMONT • Katie HAMER • Malcolm JEFF • Bill PARSONS • Gethin DAVIES-JONES • Jane BRUNSDON • Norman SPENCER • John HICKMAN • Neil HEMPSTEAD • Mike BATTEN • Paul BENNETT • Hayley LANCASTER
Today’s full results and a complete event history can be found on the Penallta parkrun Results Page. You will also find a link here to volunteer at the event!
Penallta parkrun started on 27th June 2015. Since then 7,080 participants have completed 51,093 parkruns covering a total distance of 255,465 km, including 9,346 new Personal Bests. A total of 584 individuals have volunteered 5,250 times.
Next week, runners from Moti: Albany Road are looking forward to some parkrun tourism as they head up from Cardiff to Aberbeeg parkrun and take the Celebration baton for a spin along the Ebbw Valley Cycle Track.