Two readers have written in to challenge a previous letter from Janet Knowlson, who complained that Saturday morning parkrun events disrupt her quiet walks through her local park. Bill Hunter of Honley, West Yorkshire, and Helen Beioley of France Lynch, Stroud, both argue that the free weekly 5k events bring communities together and deserve support rather than criticism.
Hunter says he wishes Knowlson had spoken directly to a parkrun participant or volunteer before forming her view, insisting the events do not dominate shared park space.
I am sorry that the parkrun spoils Janet Knowlson's experience of her local park. I wonder if she has ever spoken to a parkrunner or a volunteer? Many would tell of the camaraderie and their improved physical and mental health. Strangers become friends and even partners. We do not take over the park, as she alleges, rather we recognise that we share the space with other park users and are respectful of their rights and needs. Parkrun is for everyone and anyone, from children upwards, and not only runners. It is only competitive if you want it to be, and is equally welcoming to walkers. Parkrun is a huge success story, both in the UK and many other countries, and should be celebrated. It receives no public funding and each event relies on an army of volunteers, without whom it wouldn't happen. Long may it continue.
Beioley takes a lighter approach, suggesting Knowlson simply avoid the park during the single hour each week when parkrun takes place, while pointing out how welcoming the events are to people of all fitness levels.
In response to Janet Knowlson's letter complaining about the disruption to her daily peaceful walk through her park by parkrun, please can I suggest that she avoid just this one specific hour a week? Parkrun is an inclusive joy for hundreds of thousands of runners and walkers of all shapes, sizes, ages and levels of fitness. For me, it's the perfect excuse to meet up with mates and wallop down a huge almond croissant as a post-run(walk) reward.
How big has parkrun grown?
Parkrun's scale has continued to expand well beyond the original weekend jog around a local field. In April 2026, the UK arm of the organisation reached 1,395 weekly events across 899 locations, with weekly participation topping 260,000 for the first time since the pandemic, according to running news outlet runninglookout.com. The same report notes that parkrun UK has now logged more than 73 million recorded finishes, 4 million unique registered finishers, and over 526,000 recorded volunteers since it began.
Attendance hit a new peak over the Easter weekend of 2026, when 240,599 parkrunners took part across 875 UK locations, setting a national record, as reported by Running News UK.
What is parkrun worth economically?
Beyond the social benefits described by Hunter and Beioley, researchers have put a financial figure on parkrun's impact. A university-backed analysis found the events are worth £667 million a year to the UK, delivering at least £16.70 in benefits for every £1 spent, according to Sheffield Hallam University. Parliamentary evidence submitted before the events were suspended in March 2020 recorded around 187,000 people taking part in UK parkruns every weekend, including 17,000 volunteers, according to a written submission to Parliament.
The enthusiasm described by both letter writers echoes a wider trend of parkrun devotion, with some participants travelling internationally purely to take part in events; an earlier feature examined people who travel the world one parkrun at a time, from Namibia to Finland.
Key Facts
- Two readers wrote in response to a letter from Janet Knowlson criticising parkrun's disruption to her local park walks.
- Bill Hunter and Helen Beioley both defended parkrun as inclusive, non-competitive and community-building.
- Parkrun UK reached 1,395 weekly events across 899 locations in April 2026, with weekly participation above 260,000.
- A record 240,599 parkrunners took part across 875 locations over Easter weekend 2026.
- Researchers estimate parkrun delivers £16.70 in benefits for every £1 spent, worth £667 million a year to the UK.
