Beverley Westwood parkrun are celebrating 3 years - join in this Saturday 16th July 8.45am
Mon 11th July 2022
On the 13th July 2019 Beverley Westwood parkrun welcomed runners of all abilities to experience parkrun and to enjoy the
Westwood and its beautiful surroundings.
Just Beverley were privileged to catch up with Kay Farrow who was behind the parkrun coming to Beverley.
Kay Farrow, from Beverley, started parkrunning in Hull and loved it but she wanted to go to an event nearer home in Beverley. There wasn’t one so she decided to try to set one up. Kay said "I was unaware that Andy Moore, Louise Barrett and Nick Frère were all separately at various stages of trying to set up a parkrun in Beverley. None of us knew about the others
but Andy did some research, found out about the rest of us and got us all together. We then worked as a team to get Beverley Westwood parkrun up and running, this whole procedure took about 18 months."
It is often asked why the Westwood was chosen as the venue for the parkrun and Kay explained, "We looked all over Beverley and the surrounding area but the Westwood was the only place that could accommodate a 5k course. As well as being a great place to run, the Westwood allows us to satisfy the requirements of a parkrun course - a 5k route with no roads to cross with parking, toilets and a café/pub nearby."
How did you choose the route?
It was the only one possible! Due to the racecourse, the golf course and the roads crossing the Westwood we were limited to the area between Walkington Road and Newbald Road. The area could not accommodate a one lap course but we managed to limit it to two. We were still constrained by the golf course and the terrain. We planned a route then Andy and I walked round it with the secretary of the golf club and the club’s pro to ascertain the safe area where there is no chance of a stray
ball hitting anyone on the parkrun course. We had to amend our proposed course slightly and then have it checked by a Health and Safety Officer from East Riding of Yorkshire Council. We followed his advice and made a further minor adjustment and he was satisfied that the course was safe. Our local parkrun ambassador then did the official measurement of the route
and approved it.
Who was involved?
Our team of four - Andy, Louise, Nick and me -had support and advice from our local parkun ambassador, Paul Tremere, and from Mark Gadie, an experienced local parkrunner. We had to get permission to use the Westwood from the Pasture Masters and they were very supportive from the start. Officers at East Riding of Yorkshire Council were also very supportive and the council funded our start-up costs. We are very grateful for that and for the additional funding which came from Beverley
Town Council, Sir James Reckitt Charity, William Jackson Food Group, Drax and Beverley Athletic Club. This was used to purchase various items such as our PA system, radios and storage box for equipment.
How many volunteers do you need each week?
We like to have at least 30 volunteers but we’ve had as few as 27 and as many as 55. There are 18 different roles to cover - some require several people and some volunteers cover several roles. No experience is necessary. Most people start with marshalling and we always pair up first time marshals with someone who has done it before because it’s more enjoyable and makes the new volunteer feel part of a team.
I knew that a parkrun in Beverley would attract lots of runners but I have been surprised and delighted by the number of wonderful people who volunteer. We have 3 people who only volunteer while all the other volunteers are runners and walkers who give up their time some weeks to help stage parkrun for the benefit of others. There’s such a great atmosphere when they all arrive on a Saturday morning and they’re always cheerful and enthusiastic no matter what the weather. It’s a different group of people each week but there’s always a great team spirit.
How many runners did you have at the first event?
419 - despite no publicity.
How many attend on a regular basis?
We have an average of 227.8 finishers.
Numbers have dropped since we started again after COVID restrictions were lifted.
What are your hopes for the future of Beverley Westwood parkrun?
I hope that our free, timed, 5k run, walk or opportunity to volunteer continues for as long as the local community wants it, hopefully forever.
The future depends on a regular influx of new people of all ages participating and volunteering. I’d like to see more families with children taking part together. parkrun is a great way for the whole family to keep fit.
I’d like to see our numbers increase past the pre-COVID levels as so many more people could benefit from regular exercise and being actively involved in the local community whether by participating or by volunteering.
I’d like more people to experience the pleasure of volunteering and to have the satisfaction gained from having helped to stage an event for the benefit and enjoyment of others. 395 people have volunteered so far and I’d like to see that figure continue to rise.
What do you hope to do on the 3rd anniversary day?
We are planning to hold a picnic on the Westwood after parkrun to celebrate our birthday. Although our parkrun will be 3 years old it will be the first time we can celebrate it as we missed our first two birthdays due to COVID. Everyone is welcome to join us.
What events have you held over the years?
So far we’ve held 82 events which includes a pacing event, a volunteer takeover by Fitmums and Friends and Beverley AC’s couch to 5k runners have ‘graduated’ by running at our parkrun. We’ve held a monthly social event so volunteers and participants can strengthen the friendships made on the Westwood and feel part of our community. We’ve also held litter
picking events on the Westwood to show our gratitude to the Pasture Masters for allowing us to hold our parkrun on the pasture.
Do parkrunners meet away from the parkrun?
Yes. On Saturday morning after parkrun people go to their favourite place for coffee or breakfast. Our official post parkrun venue is the Windmill Inn.
People get together for parkrun tourism and travel to other parkruns in the area. A group of us had planned a trip to a parkrun in the Netherlands but it was postponed due to COVID.
Great friendships have been forged at parkrun especially between people who volunteer regularly. People don’t need an organised event to get together with parkrun friends and some of us meet up regularly away from parkrun e.g. a group goes to watch Hull City together.
If you’ve somehow not heard about Beverley Westwood parkrun until now here’s what you need to know:
It’s FREE - parkrun is 100% free but you MUST register online first at
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/.
Once registered print your barcode off or save it on your phone and take it with you to parkrun. Your barcode is scanned
when you finish so that your participation and time are recorded for the results.
Beverley Westwood parkrun starts at 09.00 every Saturday with a briefing for first timers at 08.50.
- · All abilities are welcome
- - you can run, jog, walk or volunteer.
- · Children under 11 must stay within arm’s reach of their accompanying adult.
- · The course is not suitable for buggies.
- · Dogs are allowed but must be on a short, non - extendable hand-held lead.
- · Nobody finishes last - tail walking volunteers are always the last people to cross the finish line.
- · Volunteers must be registered too. If you want to volunteer go to
www.parkrun.org.uk/beverleywestwood/volunteer/
LATEST STATS:
Events: 82
Finishers: 4,312
Finishes: 18,660
Average finishers per week: 227.6
Volunteers: 395
PBs: 3,503
Average finish time: 00:30:46
Average finishes per participant: 4.3
Groups: 359
Female record: Becky BRIGGS - 18:20 - Event 6
(17 Aug 2019)
Male record: Kian WILES - 16:00 - Event 50 (23
Oct 2021)
Age graded record: Carol BAKER - 87.6% 21:14
- Event 50 (23 Oct 2021)
Register and come along and celebrate with Beverley Westwood parkrun this Saturday 16 July 8.45am for 9am start.
Register online ;-
