Bromsgrove Junior parkrun: Our addiction to parkrun started back in March 2019 and now we have a new found love for the junior parkrun!
I first volunteered a few weeks ago on the restart weekend, our nearest one is in Bromsgrove around 30 minutes away but we saw an appeal for more volunteers on our local parkrun page so they would be able to restart.
For those who aren’t familiar with parkrun which is a free weekly timed 5km event for all ages, the Junior parkrun is the baby of the family offering a free weekly timed 2km run for those aged 4-14 (although due to current covid restrictions its currently 4-10 year olds only)
Why is junior parkrun currently only open to children aged 4 to 10 in some parts of the UK?
We are particularly pleased to see the prioritisation of children’s sport and activity in the roadmap, and due to the smaller number of participants and relative lack of tourism, we are comfortable supporting a phased return of junior events, helping teams to reopen when they are ready to do so.
In the absence of our 5k events, we will be reopening our junior parkrun series for children aged 4-10 only. We have thought long and hard about this temporary restriction over the last six months, and for the following reasons believe that it is the only appropriate way to reopen junior parkrun at this time:
- In the absence of 5k parkrun events, the number of registered children eligible for junior parkrun (aged 4-14) would effectively double, from roughly 300,000 to 600,000.
- By temporarily limiting our age categories to 4-10-year-olds only, we would be reducing the number of registered and eligible parkrunners by around 50%, bringing it back to a figure (around 300,000) similar to those previously registered to junior parkrun.
- Whilst we know that not all older children would attend a junior parkrun event, it is likely that a significant number would, with a high proportion of older, faster, and more competitive children coming over from our 5k events, likely to negatively impact the youngest participants.
- In the absence of being able to limit or cap event participation in any other way, this change allows us to mitigate the risks associated with junior parkrun events doubling in attendance ‘overnight’.
- From the conversations and discussions we have had so far with third parties, we also believe that local stakeholders will be significantly more comfortable giving permission for events targeted at primary-school-age children.
Importantly, we are committed to this change being temporary, and as soon as 5k events return, 11-14 year olds will be welcomed back to junior parkrun. In the interim period, we will strongly encourage parkrunners aged 11-14 to volunteer, or accompany younger siblings as they take their first parkrun steps.
You can find more info at https://support.parkrun.com/
This week we were in charge of the finish funnel making sure all the juniors pass the timers and collect their barcodes at the end in the correct order, this makes sure everyone gets the correct times! Holly was helping me today cheering on the finishers while Chloe and Lottie ran, well sulkily walked round because they weren’t impressed about getting up so early today!
What is Bromsgrove junior parkrun?
It is a 2k event for juniors only (4 to 14 year olds). Due to COVID-19 restrictions only those aged 4 to 10 years old may take part until further notice.
When is it?
It is held every Sunday at 9:00am.
Where is it?
The event takes place in Sanders Park, Kidderminster Road, Bromsgrove, B61 7JP. See Course page for more details.
What does it cost to join in?
Nothing – it’s free! but please register before your first visit. Only ever register with parkrun once. Don’t forget to bring a printed copy of your barcode (request a reminder).
How fast do I have to be?
The aim is to have fun. Please come along and join in whatever your pace!
Not only are they a great way to get your little ones active on a Sunday morning, its a great way to get them interested and involved in sports / activities in general and they can make new friends while having fun!
As it is timed they can also get competitive with themselves, their age group or even overall – all results are graded as a % (I’m not even going to pretend I understand how it is worked out but its a good way to see your overall performance rate) You can also see your placing for your gender and your time (with your PB if you’ve previously run the same course) We’ve also now got Chloe and Lottie fitness trackers so you can use those too.
There is free parking available in Sanders park and you can see the parkrun start from there, just look for the Hi-Vis vests! There is also a playground right by the parkrun route so if you do need to amuse smaller siblings while older ones run this parkrun is an ideal location and if you need to grab a snack there is a little snack bar in the park too. The toilets are currently locked up but hopefully they will reopen again soon.
You can register for FREE online here make sure you do this before the event and have your barcode printed off ready – You can also order wristbands with your barcode on online here
We will be at the Bromsgrove Junior parkrun whenever we are available to help so we hope to see you there soon!
There are plenty of other junior parkruns across the UK you can find yours here
Happy parkrunning!
ChrissyJ xxx
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