Youngsters have been getting on their marks for a brand new running event in Aberdeen which is the first of its kind in the city.
The Junior Parkrun at Duthie Park, for children aged between four and 14, has been hailed a success after more than 100 children took part in each of the first few weeks.
The run is similar to the adult event, but instead of a 5K course, children run, jog or walk 2km. The event is run at Duthie Park every Sunday morning at 9.30am.
There are two adult runs in Aberdeen which take place each Saturday at the Beach Esplanade and Hazlehead Park. And organisers of the junior event thought that starting up a children’s event would be a good way of keeping families fit in a fun environment.
Katie Greig, event director, said: “It’s gone really well. We didn’t know what to expect – whether we might have just 20 or so children.
“We had 132 in the first week, 118 in the second week and in the third week we had 151 come along.
“Active Schools (Sport Aberdeen’s youth sport organising arm) have been really helpful in getting the word out there. A lot of our volunteers are teachers.”
She added: “The children are loving it. It’s a 2km course. Some of them walk, some do a bit of walking and a bit of jogging. We have a wheelchair user as well so it’s nice that it’s inclusive of everyone.
“The feedback from parents has all been really positive. We’ve had quite a few five-star reviews on the Facebook page so we’re pleased about that.
“It’s good to get the kids active, and it’s nice for them to have something to do with their parents as a family. The parents do go round as well sometimes, especially with the little ones.
“Most parents are up at that time in the morning on a Sunday anyway so they might as well get out of the house and meet some new people. So far there’s been a really good community feel to it.”
To register your child or to volunteer, visit www.parkrun.org.uk/duthie-juniors/
The event was set up after runners in Aberdeen raised £3,000 towards the initial set up costs such as a laptop, barcode scanners, cones and safety equipment. It is free to take part in the weekly runs.
