Record numbers for parkrun anniversary

Before enjoying the obligatory cakes and confectionery befitting of a birthday, Kenilworth Runners’ Rich Simkiss led home the field in 17min 15sec for his second victory in as many weeks.

He was followed in second by team-mate Patrick Roddy (17:52), with Spa Striders’ Mark Urbanowski (18:25) third.

Leamington C&AC’s Anouk Molliex was the first lady in 21:49.

Parkrun organiser Jason Jackson was delighted to see runners top 200 for the first time and admitted the the popularity of the Leamington event had even taken him by surprise.

A total of 1,251 different runners have donned their training shoes over the past year to complete the 5k circuit around Newbold Comyn, with Jackson raising the biggest cheer on Saturday after completing his first Leamington parkrun in 34:03.

“When we were setting up Leamington parkrun, we said we would happy to get 60 or 80 runners every week,” said Jackson.

“A couple of weeks ago, I caught myself saying ‘only 120 this week’.

“January saw a big upturn in runners, which I thought might be lots of resolutioners, but numbers have stayed high, peaking at 195 a few weeks ago.”

As well as providing serious runners with a useful addition to their training schedules, the parkrun also gives those who are just starting out an attainable target.

However, the benefits are more than just health-related, with Jackson pointing to the many new friendships that have grown out of the event.

He said: “Parkrun is much more than just a run. It’s a time and place where people meet and make friends, where bitter rivalries can be fought out and then laughed about over a cup of tea.

“It’s where families run together, or where sons and daughters try to beat mums and dads.

“We welcome any standard of athlete, whether you think you’re an athlete or not. The course record is 15:35, but we have a great bunch of regulars who take over twice that.”

Leamington parkrun 54: (Spa Striders unless stated): 1, Rich Simkiss (Kenilworth Runners, 17:15); 2, Patrick Roddy (Kenilworth Runners, 17:52); 3, Mark Urbanowski (18:25); 15, Matthew Elkington (Kenilworth Runners, 20:13); 19, Mick Williams (Kenilworth Runners, 20:46); 35, Anouk Molliex (Leamington C&AC, 21:49); 48, Ros Matthews (Kenilworth Runners, 22:37); 54, Sarah Stein (Kenilworth Runners, 22:54, PB), 62, Colin Underhill (Kenilworth Runners, 23:19); 69, Caroline Whitehouse (23:40); 70, Barry Elkington (Kenilworth Runners, 23:46); 76, Jude Baum (24:02, PB); 82, Ruth Tennant (24:20); 85, Julie Heaton (24:29); 94, Tom Dable (Kenilworth Runners, 24:53); 133, Gary Perkins (27:23); 139, Emma Caplin (27:46); 142, Pauline Dable (Kenilworth Runners, 28:43); 163, Ruth French (30:57); 170, Richard Morris (31:33); 205, Helen Tudge (40:10).

Coventry parkrun regular Phil Fusi (Kenilworth Runners) finished sixth in the 155th running of the event in 18:08.

He was followed by team-mate Dave Ramus, who took an impressive 28 seconds off his best, set just a week earlier, when he finished 16th in 19:47.

Sigurd Assing came home 45th (21:44), while Sally Hicks set a new PB of 23:03 to finish 67th. Keith Blake was 106th in 25:10.