As I mentioned last week, we love to welcome newcomers and visitors to Barking parkrun. This week we had 12 first timers, including six parkrun newbies (welcome George, Raminta, Omer, Amy, Linda and Abigail). The six parkrun tourists included Ronan and Sandra from Balbriggan Roadrunners. I had to look up where Balbriggan was. Having done some research, I now know it is a seaside town, about 45 minutes’ (on a good day) drive from Dublin in Ireland. It is most famous for… pants. It became a centre for cotton manufacture from the 1700s, and local firm Smyth and Company sent undergarments around the world. In the US, long johns were nicknamed Balbriggans. Queen Victoria kept her bottom warm in Balbriggan stockings, though I’m sure she would not be amused for it to be mentioned in a run report. Luckily there was no need for long johns in Barking Park this morning, but it won’t be long before the summer’s heatwave is a distant memory and we’re needing our thermals on the finish line.
Today’s event was made possible by 13 volunteers:
Philip PEARSON • Ronald VIALLS • Anna CRAWLEY • Alison FRYATT • Robert COURTIER • Paul Antony TABOR • Harmander SINGH • Mick MOOHAN • Barry CULLING • Chris HESLEGRAVE • Martin SMITH • Trevor PARKIN • Jean MARSHALL
Well done and thank you to Trevor Parking, who volunteered for the 25th time today, and will soon be receiving his purple volunteers’ t-shirt. If you’d like to volunteer and feel that warm glow you get after helping your fellow parkrunners, please drop us an email to barkinghelpers@parkrun.com or let us know via our Facebook page.
This week 88 people ran, jogged and walked the course of whom 12 recorded new Personal Bests (well done Fraser, Cashelle, Kiran, James P, Eliza, Les, Steve, Dru, Amanda, Chichi, Rehan and Gurvinder).
The first three men across the finish line today were:
- John Booth in 17:44. John also achieved the highest age-grading score of 75.85%
- Fraser Carr in 18:58.
- Jody Walker in 19.35. Congratulations on completing your 100th parkrun, Jody!
The first three women across the finish line were:
- Cashelle Souris in 23:24.
- Morgan Romain in 24:36. Morgan also achieved the highest women’s age-grading score of 63.89%
- Rebecca Marshall in 25:12
Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Barking parkrun Results Page.
The female record is held by Lydia HALLAM who recorded a time of 17:42 on 12th August 2017 (event number 267).
The male record is held by Paul MARTELLETTI who recorded a time of 14:52 on 25th December 2017 (event number 287).
The Age Grade course record is held by Paul MARTELLETTI who recorded 90.47% (14:52) on 25th December 2017 (event number 287).
Barking parkrun started on 28th July 2012. Since then 2,922 participants have completed 23,590 parkruns covering a total distance of 117,950 km, including 3,816 new Personal Bests.