Whiteley parkrun success continues with great new year numbers

It was another busy morning for all the volunteers at Whiteley parkrun with 320 people completing the 5k on Saturday morning.
Whiteley parkrun volunteers Jack Rees, Holly Thwaites, and Franio Van Wyk. Picture: Ian Hargreaves  (050119-6)Whiteley parkrun volunteers Jack Rees, Holly Thwaites, and Franio Van Wyk. Picture: Ian Hargreaves  (050119-6)
Whiteley parkrun volunteers Jack Rees, Holly Thwaites, and Franio Van Wyk. Picture: Ian Hargreaves (050119-6)

Clearly a lot of people have resolved to get active in the new year, many started the year by signing up and getting involved. Hopefully they will all continue taking part.

The course at Whiteley Meadowside is great fun with a mixture of terrain and some undulations.

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It was their third highest attendance ever on Saturday and followed on from the new record turnout of 378 on New Year's Day.

Whiteley had 28 wonderful volunteers who turned in the cold conditions on Saturday to ensure everyone could enjoy the 5k. They made sure it all went nice and smoothly.

To see the full Whiteley parkrun picture gallery click on the link at the top of the story or on the icon on the main image.

Mark Smallwood was first finisher and he recorded a new personal best time of 17min 37sec.

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Hannah Molyneaux, who represents Stubbington Green Runners, was the first female finisher as she did the 5k in 20.48.

Andrea Still was tail walker for the event and volunteered for the 25th time.

Hazel Adams recorded her 50th parkrun and Dean Medcalf completed his century.

Young Joe Nice (age 14) reached 200 and has 50 more to go to get his next milestone t-shirt.

Whiteley parkrun started on April 1, 2017.

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Since then 4,106 participants have completed 19,425 parkruns covering a total distance of 97,125km, including 4,263 new personal bests.

Meanwhile, Saturday saw a second-successive record breaking Fareham parkrun.

An amazing attendance of 367 followed on from 343 people finishing the 5k on New Year's Day.

Emlyn Hughes finished in first position at Fareham parkrun on Saturday with a time of 18.34.

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Ela Stachow was the first lady for the second event in a row at Cams Hall Estate. Her time of 19.56 of New Year's Day was her best so far.

It has been a stunning start to 2019 across all parkrun events.

Many attendances records were smashed on New Year's.

Following on from that, Saturday saw the biggest weekend in the history of parkrun.

More than 340,000 walks, jogs, runs and volunteers featured across 1,650 events in 20 countries.

The ethos and the community feel keeps growing with many more people encouraged to take part and be outdoors on a Saturday or for the junior parkrun events on a Sunday.