Parkrun is anything but a stroll with a sports stroller

 

Running with Ross in his sports stroller during the 2007 Great South Run around Portsmouth

 - that's me in the Scooby Doo outfit!

SATURDAY morning in sun-kissed Eastbourne, where the sun shines most of the time, and I'm lining up for parkrun, which has become an amazing running phenomenon.

It was in 2004 when Paul Sinton-Hewitt hit on the idea of organising a 5km time trial around Bushy Park near Hampton Court. The idea grew steadily as he created a small collection of time trials at other venues, such as nearby Richmond Park, and soon the concept of parkrun was born.

The idea is simple. You run 5km around a measured parkland course. The parkrun community at each event organises and marshals the event.

Entry is free. In fact, when you sign up you are given your own barcode identity - emailed to you to print out - so at the end of every run you hand in your barcode ticket plus your finish tag to the results marshal where your time is recorded.

You even get an email that evening telling you your time, place overall and your position based on age.

It is an incredibly simple concept and at the last count in June this year there were 149 parkruns, including ones in Afghanistan, Australia, Iceland, Poland, South Africa, New Zealand and the USA.

They are huge social events, as competitive as you want them to be, although the increasing numbers is causing problems. Cardiff City Council suspended its parkrun last year because of complaints that the pathway around Bute Park was being blocked. How pathetic and mealy-mouthed.

I've run three or four parkruns, including Bushy Park, and I've enjoyed them enormously. The post-race craic is also good, with parkrunners adjourning to the nearby cafe or in Eastbourne's case a pub nearby for a post-race coffee.

Last Saturday was the first time running in Eastbourne around a lake at Shinewater on the outskirts of the town. I had my son Ross with me, so I brought along his specially-adapted sports pushchair. When I bought this contraption six years ago, Ross was nine-years-old and pushing him around, while not easy, was manageable. The stroller is made of lightweight metal, it has brakes and a deep fabric seat with robust wheels.

Ross and I have competed in a number of races together, including the 10-mile Great South Run when I ran dressed as Scooby Doo and got double vision as Scooby's nose kept flapping into my face. We also competed in a massive Santa Run in Liverpool, and a few other village races in Somerset and Lincolnshire.

Parkrun last weekend was a very different affair. This was a very low key race with 86 runners of all shapes and sizes setting off on the one-lap run whose flat route had to be changed at the last minute because of flooding.

I started at the back of the field with Ross and knew early on it was going to be extremely tough. Just try running with your arms bent at 90 degrees for nearly half an hour. All the power is going through your legs and your arms ache as you try to forge ahead. The course was a mixture of gravel track and grass - the sodden grass being quite tricky to run along.

Steadily we moved past a few runners, but I was dreadfully slow. Ross was chuntering away enjoying the ride while gripping a Fruit Shoot and his Mr Men book. It was good to get him out and about.

We finished in 54th place in 27min 45sec - and according to the post-race email I was the 40th male and fifth in the vet 45 to 49 years category. Woo hoo!!

It was fun, and this weekend I shall have a parkrun without Ross when I will be hoping for a marked improvement on my time.

Sport can be a costly affair at times, but parkrun defies that trend; there are no green fees, no annual gym memberships or weekly subs. You just turn up and run with your barcode ticket. It's you against the clock, and it is good fun.

So it's parkrun on Saturday, a 10-mile multi-terrain race in Lewes the next day, before all roads lead to Swindon the following weekend and pace-making the half marathon in 1 hour 50 minutes. I hope I've got the legs for it.

ps: Jahmene Douglas has made Saturday's live finals of X-Factor. What an achievement for the Swindon lad. I just hope his nerves hold and Jahmene can show what an amazing voice he has and what superb talent he possesses.