After all the rain last Sunday, I spend most of the week checking the weather forecast to see if I would need to bring my snorkel and flippers along. Alas, when I opened the curtains, we had a lovely crisp day for event #176.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers who turned up ready and raring to go. This week, our high-vis heroes were:

This was my first time in the Run Directors vest on the new route so the giant map from Damian and Fyfe was greatly appreciated as was all the help and support from our regular volunteers. If you would like to be a high vis hero at a future event, please drop Sarah a line and she will add you to the roster.

This week we were inundated with first timers. Welcome to the parkrun family Fred, Samuel, Nina, Erin, Olivia, Rosie and Imogen! We hope you enjoyed your run with us and will see you again soon.

We also had four runners who achieved a milestone run: Reece joined the ultra marathon club (50 runs) and Eve, Poppy and Isabella joined the half marathon club (11 runs). We think Mylo also joined the marathon club (21 runs) but didn't collect his wristband so let us know next time you run with us and we'll get that sorted for you.

There were 64 of you who joined us this week, with the girls edging out the boys with 39 runners and the boys with 25 runners (girl power!). After a fantastic warm-up led by Ewan, we were off! All that bouncing and jiggling around clearly did something as we also had 10 shiny new PBs earned this week, a huge well done  to you all!

Remember, next week is our Halloween run so please feel free to dress up in your spookiest outfits and join us for more fun. Your Run Director will be Damian and he currently needs a few more marshals so if you can help, please email the office and let us know

Have a great week all, happy running!

Lyndsey

Before we opened the curtains this morning, we could tell they weren’t going to be the kindest of conditions for a run, with the sound of rain hammering on the windows. We arrived early at Gedling Park for a pre-run course inspection. Oliver, co-Run Directing for the first time, ran round the course upon our arrival, to check for flooding. Conditions were ok, with the only significant puddles at the start line, so were good to go!

Ewan was on site first, as usual, busy setting up the finish funnel; and soon the volunteers were arriving in their droves. A big thankyou to Sarah H-F for her usual fantastic efforts as Volunteering Coordinator; Once again we had a full roster of volunteers, with first time volunteers including Ted and James. After removing the rabbit*, we set about agreeing the marshalling positions, using the big map which Damian and Fyfe created last week, which was really helpful - so big thanks for that.

This week we were joined by three first timers (welcome to parkrun to Eva, Hollie & Max) - it’s always great to see first timers – hopefully we'll see you again some time very soon.

Well done to two runners (Talitha and Marrissa) on achieving and collecting their half-marathon wristbands (Don’t forget, when you reach 11, 21 or 50 runs, you are awarded a special wristband to show off!).

After a warm-up led by Ewan, Ted and James the run was on;

There were 42 runners, which was a fantastic number, given the weather; so well done to all of you, and an extra well done to the 8 of you who achieved a new PB this week.

Thanks to all the volunteers who made this event happen: Fyfe BENNER, Emma BENNER, Damian BENNER, Jake BROUGHTON, Jenny BROWN, Laurence COE, Neil Scott FRANKLIN, Matilda FRANKLIN, Neil GREGORY, Oliver HILL, Nick HILL, Sarah HORRIGAN-FULLARD, Matthew MARSHALL, James MARTIN, Angela MOSELEY, Michael QUALTROUGH, Isabella RIELEY, Jolene SANDERSON, Oliver SANDERSON, Ted SELBY, Helen SMALLEY, Helena STASZKIEWICZ, Zoe TANNER, Jonathan TANNER, Joanne TANNER, Neil TUCKER, Ewan WANE
Your run director next week will be Lyndsey. If you'd like to join Lyndsey on the volunteer team then email the office: gedling-juniorshelpers@parkrun.com.

* The rabbit needed to be removed, because, to borrow from the Pythons ‘ 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This rabbit is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! … 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the ' choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-RABBIT!!’

A beautiful morning to arrive at Gedling Country Park. 79 of you showed up to try our new route some of you took your grown ups out for some exercise too, which was very nice of you.

We were joined by 9 first timers this morning, including 3 doing their very first parkrun with us. Thank you for joining us! I hope you enjoyed our course and we hope to see you soon.

Emma and Joshua collected their half marathon wristbands. I noted Marrissa and Talitha became eligible for their's too! You can collect them on your next run. Well done all four of you. Also well done to the two boys who qualified for their marathon wristbands - great job.

Finn and Sammy did the warm up before we moved over to our new starting position and, after we'd checked the coast was clear, you were off!

First back this week was Jake Greenhalgh with a time of 07:12 and a new PB. We at Gedling Junior Towers had to check if we could find a faster time, ever, at Gedling. We could only find one, from way back in 2016 . Very well done Jake; that was a very impressive performance.

The rest of you did an amazing job too. So many PBs this week (I counted 19) and much more importantly, so many smiles! There was even a bit of impromptu high-fiving from you kids on the run in to the funnel as you supported each other to the finish. I think this should only be encouraged! We're all loving the party atmosphere at the new finish funnel!

Thank you also to all who are giving us your feedback on the new route. We're taking it all on board and continue to make little tweaks to where the cones go, how we do the start, manage the turn-around and manage the finish funnel. We're all having loads of fun and given the bright smiles we see there, I suspect you're all having fun too.

Team Awesome this week were Damian Benner, Jake Broughton, Jenny Brown, Karen Broughton, Tom England, Nick Hill, Oliver Hill, Finn Jones, Matthew Marshall, Kelly Morphus, Bo Nowicki, Matthew Ratcliffe, Louise Ratcliffe, Jolene Sanderson,Oliver Sanderson, Joanne Tanner, Thomas Wall, Julie Webster, Roger Smalley, Sammy King, Alice Townend, Zoe Tanner, Matilda Franklin, Nicola Dickinson and the ever awesome Sarah Horrigan-Fullard.

Team Awesome will be led by Nick Hill next week. If you'd like to join the team, email gedling-juniorhelpers@parkrun.com

Well what an amazing day to shake things up a little - with a bit of a 'back to school starting afresh and trying new things' attitude we thought this Sunday would be the perfect day to test out the route that Tamsin, Sarah, Helen and others have been working on for the last few months.  And without just skipping to the end - I think we can declare it a great success and put out a great cheer to the team for putting in all the  hard work with stravas, maps, risk assessments and measuring wheels (yes like the ones you had a school that click).

Alice, Damian, Emma, Finn, Ian, Isabella, Joanne, John, Jonathan, Julie, Maddy, Matilda, Matthew,  Nick, Nick, Nicola, (three different people, my laptop didn't get stuck) Oliver, Rachel, Ray, Richard, Sarah, Susanne, Tamsin, Tom, and Zoe coped admirably with everything and everyone being in a different place and gave great constructive feedback on the layout so we can make it even better (for example by adding in some more cones in places and different signs).

The new route meant we had a much better start set up for a warm up - which this week was led very well by Tamsin in her woolly hat - she hasn't quite  stolen Ewan's warm up crown though!  and the finish was much smoother - it had a much friendlier feel as people were able to stand around and  watch and cheer without blocking the way for other park users.  It also meant siblings could wait on the  playground but still be close to the action.  Only one person was  sad that the route now means we run down the zig zags not up - you know who you are.....  There was obviously something you liked about the route though as we had 12 new pbs.  These guys were the first three finishers on the  new  route - great trailblazing!!!

We had an amazing outturn of volunteers on Sunday which was great - rules at parkrun juniors have now been updated nationally which means we do need a few more marshalls so please do sign up to help us out - you could have a lovely joyous and upbeat  view like this on a sunday morning then feel virtuous all day.  What could be better?  Exactly - now we're agreed on that drop the lovely Sarah and email on
gedling-juniorshelpers@parkrun.com       SEE YOU SUNDAY!!!!

Well what a gorgeous day we had on Sunday for our 35 parkrunners, 5 of whom were there for the first time ever - it's surprisingly easier to get up early on a Sunday when the sun is shining!

The amazing volunteers all had smiles on their faces and only one person had a proper jumper on - you know who you are. As always a massive thank you to our amazing volunteers who make the whole thing run so smoothly, Ian, Martyn, Nicola, Tom, Emma, Oliver, Nick, Maddy, Nick, Matthew, Kelly, Brian, Bo, Michael, Isabella, James, Esther, Alice, and especially Ewan who runs the warm up every week - any volunteers for the warm up for other weeks to learn it with Ewan much appreciated!  Here's everyone properly warmed up and ready go!

We also had Joseph who whilst still young enough to be in a pushchair now has his own hi-vis and is the third generation of his family to be a volunteer (even if he isn't old enough to actually go on the roster yet).  If you would like to start a volunteering legacy and don't know where to start - an email to the lovely Sarah (who builds up and encourages the volunteers each week so we're all ready to go on a sunday) to put your name down is always appreciated.  You can find her on gedling-juniorhelpers@parkrun.com.  Our roster is looking very sparse for the next few weeks so now's the time to come forward.

Here are some of our first finishers Matilda and Oliver, Oliver was one of our 2 pbs this week despite the blazing heat!

See you all next week!!

It was a warm, bright and sunny day for this weeks Gedling junior parkrun, which saw 51 runners (as well as several parents) smile their way through the course.

This week, Charlotte, Finlay and Isla all completed their first junior parkrun, and Scarlett earned her half-marathon wristband. We also saw 9 people set a new PB, so congratulations to Elijah, Oliver James, Hannah, Sadie, Henry, Archie, Dylan, Sophia and Ruby. Our first finisher was Lewis, whilst Talitha was the first female finisher.

Our traditional pre-run warm-up was led by myself (Ewan) and Sammy.

Of course, the event can’t happen without the volunteers so thanks to Catriona, Ciaran, Clare, Damian, Evie, Frances, Helen, Henry, Ian, Jake, Jenny, Karen, Linda, Madeleine, Madeleine, Matthew, Mhairi, Nick, Nick, Oliver, Richard, Rory, Sammy, Sarah and Sharon for wearing the high-vis this week. Also, an extra big “Thank you!” to Sarah, who, as well as being our Volunteer Co-Ordinator, has now volunteered at 250 various parkrun events. We are always looking for new volunteers, so please consider it if you are free on a Sunday morning.

Your run director next week, and for the first time, is going to be Sammy.

Thanks,
Ewan