EVENT Director of the very popular Warrington Parkrun, Huw Jones, celebrated his 500th event on Saturday as a volunteer by bringing doughnut and cakes for marshals to celebrate.
As a keen runner he has also run in 45 events, setting his PB in a good time of 24 minutes and 21 seconds on his home course. He has utilised his geography teachers’ experience and skills in organising the event from the early days some 515 Saturdays ago.
Huw said: “Just over nine years ago I joined forces with two other people to bring the event to Warrington Borough Council’s attention and lobbied for them to help us put on a new event in Victoria Park. We highlighted the growing success of parkrun and the strict regime that it was organised under. We knew the health and wellbeing benefits of running that we got out of running/walking the 5km course every Saturday and the support and friendships that developed but we had to travel outside the borough to get them. All we wanted was their permission and support to apply as well as access to basic facilities.
“The event now regularly attracts well over 550 people each week and occasionally 600 plus turn up. I have an excellent team of volunteers who do around 20 different tasks mainly focused on marshalling, recording and time keeping, but we are always looking for extra helpers please click Warrington parkrun for more information.
Geoff Settle, former Mayor of Warrington, said “Huw is a marvel, he is cool and calculated makes quick decisions almost before he needs to. He takes his role very seriously and has built a great team of volunteers that are appreciated and respected by all participants.
“He has always coped well with the course changes that are needed with our unpredictable weather such as snow, ice and rain. One part of the course floods when the sports field rainfall runs off and swamps the path. This area is affectionately known as Lake Victoria and marshals are dispatched with brushes to try and clear it. In the summer an alternative course is required to accommodate Simon Moran’s “Neighbourhood Weekend”, fortunately he is a great supporter of parkrun, and we have no problems. I always give him a special cheer when he runs past my Marshalling spot.”
To date 23,375 participants have crossed the finish line every Saturday morning. For those that don’t know registration is free, events take place across the UK and even abroad. Results are usually drop into your email address before noon click here parkrun UK to find out how to register and where they are in the UK.
