Winnipeggers catch running bug as part of international organization

All it took was a locomotion successful nan parkland to lead a Winnipeg family to create a section section of an world runners’ organization.

Rick Harrison says he and his daughters picked up nan moving bug aft trying a five-kilometre jaunt astatine Happyland Park backmost successful 2019, followed by an eager effort astatine 10 kilometres successful that year’s Manitoba Marathon.

After getting a sensation for nan pastime, Harrison told 680 CJOB’s The Start, he began chatting pinch different runners successful Facebook groups, which is wherever he first heard nan word “parkrun.”

“While learning astir really to run, I accidentally joined a group that seemed to beryllium mostly made up of British folks connected Facebook,” he said.

“They started talking astir ‘parkrun.'”

After asking immoderate questions and looking into nan concept, Harrison said he learned it was a conception wherever runners of each accomplishment levels astir nan world participated successful play meetups and recorded their times.

He learned location was a parkrun group successful Saskatchewan, but thing present successful Manitoba, truthful Harrsion said he contacted Parkrun Canada and group astir forming a section chapter.

Trending Now

“It’s a world community, truthful erstwhile you registry pinch Parkrun Canada, you get a barcode. That barcode is bully anyplace successful nan world. … Anywhere that has a parkrun, you tin tally that people and you’ll get your clip emailed to you.

“A batch of places person a gathering spot afterwards wherever you tin meet different runners and person coffee.”

For Winnipeg’s parkrun, which precocious celebrated its 5th anniversary, Harrison chose nan scenic Churchill Parkway adjacent nan Red River. Runners meet location successful each kinds of weather, each Saturday astatine 9 a.m. sharp., to tally a five-kilometre people that’s unfastened to all.

“You tin tally on pinch nan runners, aliases you tin registry and go 1 of nan runners. We admit walkers, runners, babe strollers, canine walkers.

“We judge each people, not bicycles — you’ve sewage to spell connected your ain 2 feet.”