Parkrun can help us overcome widespread loneliness - Yorkshire Post Letters

There is much said in the press and elsewhere about the scourge of loneliness and its detriment to good health.

I would like to suggest Parkrun as an antidote. Anyone who can be up and about before 9am on a Saturday morning and has a means of transport to their nearest parkrun park can participate.

It is a 5k/3 mile timed run. You don’t have to race it or run it, you can walk if you wish, you will never be last unless you volunteer as a tail walker, it’s their job. If you don’t fancy the run/walk, volunteer, everyone will love you. It’s not hard. If you can handle an app you can be a timekeeper (there are two so no pressure) or a bar code scanner.

If you want something less tech, hand out tokens or funnel manage. Or keep it simple and marshal, which involves standing in a given spot and directing the runners in the right direction, most of them know the course and follow each other.

You can shout encouragement if you wish or clap. Many of them will thank you as they pass, they really do appreciate you being there. Everyone loves the volunteers, without them there would be no parkrun.

This will give you a chance to talk to other people at the start and finish if you wish, and make you part of a bigger thing. It's good for your self esteem, it's nice to be needed and good to make a difference. It gets you out in the fresh air socialising.

Just search Parkrun UK and it will tell you what you need to do. Or just find your local Parkrun and turn up before 8.45 and someone will tell you how it works. Enjoy.