‘The parkrun Poet’

 Reached my 470th parkrun today - well over 400 of them at the same course at Cramond promenade - just 30 to go now to qualify for the coveted 500 parkrun T- shirt! 

Should be early next year, all going well - which at my age and history of injury cannot be absolutely guaranteed! It’s been a long journey that started 13 years ago next October…

Today’s parkrun was, like the last few weeks, a bit windy, but the weather was fair and the sun came out. 

Speaking of T-shirts, just as we were about to go home, I spotted a runner wearing this intriguing one (also see extra). 

Though parkrun globally has spawned a host of different competitions and other spin-off initiatives, the idea of a  ‘parkrun poet’ was certainly new to me.

We had a fascinating chat; his name is Tim Gardiner, and he’s an ecologist, poet and children's author from Essex, who tours parkruns at weekends - nearly 100 so far - writing themed run reports for them in his own inimitable style, followed by a haiku. He’s already published two collections of parkrun related poetry and prose! 

25 June was World Beatles Day so the run report was inspired by  Beatles lyrics!

That’s all part of the magic of parkrun - the people you meet and  the initiatives that it creates!