Introduction

For those unfamiliar with parkrun special events they mean parkruns held outside the usual free, weekly, timed 5km Saturday morning events. From what I’ve gathered parkrun allow up to two special events per year. Where I am in Ireland we tend to gravitate to Christmas Day and New Years Day. In 2022/23 this meant two parkruns back to back spread over 9 days into 2023.

Journey Through 2022

I started 2022 as Run Director at Glen River parkrun. This was my first day out of quarantine due to being a close contact. My Fiancé (now wife) tested positive for COVID-19 on Christmas day. On my first day out I went straight to Glen River. I could feel us overwhelming COVID-19. parkrun wasn’t giving up and neither was I. We weren’t going to solve our problems anymore we were going to overwhelm them.

Date : April 16th 2022
I danced my last dance as a single man as RD at Glen River

I started married life as RD by helping to resurrect Tramore Valley.

Date : 25/12/2022
Our first Christmas as husband and wife had a Christmas Day parkrun 2022 at Glen River. Our friend Martin puts a lot of work into this. He’ll get people thinking about Christmas Day in September. He’ll keep a scratch note and slowly fill a volunteer roster. He makes room in his living room for the gear to live and he puts on a damn good coffee as well. I was never enthusiatic about Christmas parkrun. He tugged at my heartstrings emphasizing that some people have a very lonely Christmas. He looks out for people. My Christmas is usually very family oriented I’m obviously very lucky but this year I made it to parkrun and what a joy it was. I’ll see what my son or daughter says next Christmas. I plan to buy a good sturdy buggy and try. My wife says I’ll be up early anyway.

Date : 31/12/2022

I finished 2022 as RD at Tramore Valley.

I ran a free, weekly, timed 5km parkrun 41 times in 2022. I have run in 24 seperate parkrun events reaching 100 volunteer credits and 100 parkruns along the way.

Live A Little | Volunteer

I can’t emphasize volunteering at parkrun enough. parkrun is a free, weekly, timed, social 5km walk, jog or run. It should be fun every week that’s why we need you. We’re convinced more volunteers means more fun. I always tell people about Glen River parkrun. At one point it was almost the case that parkrun was pinned on two people in Glen River. They asked for help, Julie and I couldn’t just say No we went wide and high with that volunteer base and now Glen River thrives. We’re developing the same idea in Tramore Valley but faster. Tramore Valley is much bigger and we need that team strong and resilient. On the last day of 2022 our friends in Ballincollig had to cancel. We had 70 more parkrunners divert too us. The Tramore Valley crew took on the challenge and made it look like a soft breeze on summers day. There is something great in teams that can roll like that.

Quote Of The Week

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time’

Laura Ingalls Wilder