Whiteley parkrun makes long-awaited return after 19-month absence - but not everyone is pleased to see it back

With a new event and run director team installed, the 5k course was back to welcome runners for the first time after an extended 19-month absence.

While other parkruns across England and the area were restarted back in July, Whiteley was unable to begin again with no event or run directors in place.

However, after the endless hard work of parkrun event ambassador for the Meadowside course, Maggie Atkinson, Martin Powell and Katie Bittlestone have been established as the new joint event directors.

To mark the first parkrun held in Whiteley since March last year, there was a turnout of 155 finishers on what proved a great day for the directors, volunteers and runners who made it all possible again.

Atkinson said: ‘It’s a completely new team. It’s taken months and months (to get it back up and running).

‘The community want it back, the community want their Whiteley parkrun back, it’s just unfortunate there have been some complainants.’

Event ambassador Atkinson revealed she received an email from Whiteley Town Councillor Vivian Achwal stating there were complainants from some residents in the houses runners pass on the course route.

But Atkinson says she'll be working with new event director Powell to amend the 5k route so residents are not disturbed moving forward.

She added: ‘We were given permission by the landowners to restart. I need to get to the bottom of who is revoking permission to run past these houses.

‘I’m meeting Martin (Powell; new event director) tomorrow and we’re going to look at a four lap course so we don’t have to run past these houses. We don’t want to lose the event.’