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parkrun guides

Honest, runner-written guides covering everything from your first parkrun to finding the fastest courses in the UK.

Beginner guides

What is parkrun?
How it works, how to register, what to bring, the rules and what to expect. Everything you need to know before your first event.
How parkrun works →
Couch to 5k and parkrun, what happens next
Finished Couch to 5k? Here is exactly what to expect at your first parkrun, what to bring, and how it differs from running alone.
Read what happens next →
Your first parkrun and what to expect on the day
A step-by-step walkthrough of the morning itself. Arrival, briefing, finish tokens, barcode scanning, etiquette and common mistakes.
What to expect on the day →
Best parkruns for beginners in the UK
Flat, friendly and forgiving. The best courses to start with, what to look for, and what to save for later.
Find a beginner-friendly course →
How to volunteer at parkrun
Every role explained, how to sign up, what to expect on the morning and why volunteering is the most important thing a parkrunner can do.
Learn how to volunteer →

Kit and preparation

What to wear for parkrun
Summer, winter, rain and mud. What actually matters, what you can ignore, and why shoes are the only thing that really counts.
See the kit guide →
Running parkrun in the heat
How to pace yourself, what to wear, how much to drink, and the warning signs that mean you should stop immediately. Essential reading for hot summer Saturdays.
Read the heat guide →
Running parkrun in rain, cold and dark mornings
Layering, visibility, wet-weather shoes and how to get out the door when it is cold, wet and still dark outside.
Read the seasonal guide →
parkrun etiquette
Where to line up, how the finish funnel works, headphones, barcodes and how to be a good member of the community.
Read the etiquette guide →
parkrun with a dog
Rules, lead requirements, hot weather tips and which courses work best. Everything you need to know before bringing your dog along.
Read the dog guide →

Racing and PBs

Best parkruns for a PB in the UK
The fastest courses in the UK. What makes a good PB venue, reviewed courses with full guides, and tips on running your fastest time.
Find a fast PB course →
How to run a faster parkrun
Course selection, pacing strategy, warm-up, shoe choice and race-day tactics. Eight practical tips for setting a personal best at parkrun.
Read the PB tips →
parkrun age grading explained
What the percentage in your results email actually means, what counts as a good score, and why it is a fairer measure of performance than your finish time.
Understand your age grade →

parkrun tourism

Christmas Day and New Year's Day parkrun
Search every UK event to see if it's on for 25 December and 1 January, plus how the two festive parkrun days work.
Check your parkrun →
Where to parkrun on Halloween
Halloween is on a Saturday. Graves, Pendle, Dracula's forest and a parkrun holding its 666th event on 31 October.
Read the Halloween guide →
parkrun tourism in the UK
What parkrun tourism is, how the Explorer challenge works, tips for visiting new events and how to plan a parkrun holiday.
Read the tourism guide →

Times and benchmarks

What is the average parkrun time?
UK average finish times by age group and gender. What counts as a good time, what sub-30 means, and how to improve yours.
See the benchmarks →
parkrun milestones from 25 to 500
What each milestone means, the T-shirt colours for 50, 100, 250 and 500 runs, volunteer milestones, and how to order your shirt.
Read the milestone guide →

Practical

What happens if parkrun is cancelled?
Who makes the decision, how much notice you get, how to find out before you travel, and what to do if your event is called off this Saturday.
Read the guide →

Never turn up to a cancelled parkrun

Tell us your parkrun and we will email you if it is called off. We check late on Friday night and first thing Saturday morning.

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Know your course better than anyone?

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