The Norwich parkrun scene is thriving – that's the verdict of a contingent of parkrun bigwigs that came to visit over the weekend.
A number parkrun bosses headed to the county to speak to the key stakeholders in events around the city and they were impressed with what they found.
They spent Saturday morning at Colney Lane parkrun before meeting Catton parkrun volunteers in the afternoon to see the course and ensure all volunteers have got everything they need to deliver their events.
They then went to Norwich junior parkrun on Eaton Park on Sunday where they were pleased by the number of junior runners keen to take up the sport.
Helen Hood, head of Event Delivery, said the team had been buoyed by the number of runners they had seen.
'We go out to an area every few months to make sure their events have everything they need and to keep in touch with the people that make parkrun so brilliant,' she said.
'We normally do about six a year and we always come away happy. It was Norwich's turn this weekend and it was brilliant to see such a thriving area.
'I think it was event number 15 at Colney and it really was a textbook delivery and then in the afternoon we went to Catton and it was lovely to meet the team behind them.
'Norwich is one of the biggest junior events and to see 232 four to 14-year-olds enjoy themselves was absolutely fantastic.
'All the organisers there are doing a brilliant job. We just got to meet such a lovely group of people and they really believe in what they are doing.'
Mrs Hood, who is also regularly a race director at Nottingham parkrun, believes the events are still going from strength to strength all over the country.
'I think it (parkrun) celebrates everything that's great about the running community,' she added.
'I always hope that people use it as a social occasion as well – it's nice to be able to go for a coffee and a catch-up after.
'More and more people are taking up running and parkrun is a really big part of that. It's a responsibility I think everyone associated with parkrun takes very seriously.'
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