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About Us

Newcastle parkrun is a FREE weekly 5km event for runners of all standards, which takes place every Saturday at 9am in Exhibition Park.

It is not a race against other runners, but a 5k timed run and it can really be whatever you want it to be, whether that's for fun or as part of a training plan.

It offers an opportunity for all the local community, male or female, young or old, to come together on a regular basis to enjoy this beautiful park and get physically active into the bargain. We want to encourage people to jog or run together irrespective of their ability – this event is truly open to all and best of all it really is FREE!

Taking part is easy – just register before your first ever parkrun. The great thing is that you only ever need to do this once! Then just set your alarm for Saturday morning and get yourself there!

After the run, if you don’t have to get off straight away, there will be the chance to socialise with everyone at the Café to maybe swap stories about your run that day, chat to other runners over a cup of tea or coffee and just be an important part of this new running community.

So whether you are a complete novice looking to get yourself started on your own "running journey" or a seasoned athlete wanting to use this as a part of your training schedule, you’re welcome to come along and join us.

The Team

Niyc
Founder and Event Director

Hi, I'm Niyc; Founder and Event Director of Newcastle parkrun. I am a Personal Trainer, have a degree in Psychology with Sport Sciences, and am currently working towards a MSc degree in Positive Psychology. I am really interested in the positive impact that exercise can have upon people and communities and definitely believe that we can see this positive impact through the parkrun phenomenon.

I first thought about setting up Newcastle parkrun in May 2009 after reading Runners World and seeing Paul Sinton-Hewitt honoured for his contribution to running for setting up parkrun. It took six months of planning, meetings, and risk assessments before we were able to hold our pilot run on 5th December 2009, with our first official Newcastle parkrun held on 16th January 2010. Newcastle parkrun is going from strength to strength and it is great to see so many runners and volunteers creating and enjoying the great atmosphere on a Saturday morning.

My own running consists of 4 years of half marathons and 10k's for fun and for charity, and this year I will complete my first marathon in Edinburgh. Newcastle parkrun is now instrumental to my marathon training and allows me to see how my training is progressing.

My goals for Newcastle parkrun for 2011 are to get more first timers running. I would love to see more people take up running because of parkrun and can encourage anyone to come along and try it and walk some of the distance if you prefer not to run the entire 5km. I would also like to link Newcastle parkrun into local government sport development initiatives and policies for well-being. I am so grateful to be involved with parkrun and have a real passion for the parkrun concept. Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers and runners for making Newcastle parkrun what it is!

David

Run Director and all round volunteer

Hi, my name is David, and as a parkrun volunteer I’ve carried out a number of roles, including race-director, timer, lead-biker and marshall; every one just as important, and rewarding, as the next.

When I’m not donning my volunteer’s bib I have been known to run, and it’s as a runner where I’ve benefitted most from parkrun. Like a lot of other runners, I took up running primarily to get fit and lose a few unwanted pounds, but then the competitive streak kicked in and I was soon entering race upon race, After a few years however, things started to stagnate, both in terms of my race times and my passion for running in general. But then parkrun came along, and it’s fair to say it has been the best thing that has happened to me in years.

Almost every week there is an inspirational tale to tell at parkrun, whether it is someone finishing first in 15 minutes or a first-time runner completing the course in 40 minutes. And as a result of witnessing all these motivational performances, I have managed to record personal best times in just about all my races in 2010, from 5k right up to Marathon distance.

My hope for 2011, besides more PB’s obviously, is that Newcastle parkrun continues to grow from strength to strength, and more people benefit from parkrun as I have.