More and more people are getting up at the weekend and taking part in parkrun as the phenomenon continues to grow.

Over the past week, incredibly the amount of people registered worldwide for the 5km parkruns and 2km junior parkruns passed the 2 million people mark.

In the UK alone, over 70,000 people took part in a parkrun over the weekend with over 10,000 of them doing it for the very first time.

parkrun is a free weekly 5km timed event organised by volunteers, which takes place every Saturday at 9am at various locations across the country with the junior version run over 2km on Sunday mornings.

Kent has a real variety of routes to enjoy with fourteen venues now in operation with coastal parkruns in Margate, Folkestone and Whitsable; parkruns in country parks like Shorne Woods in Gravesend, Pegwell Bay near Ramsgate, Lullingstone Park in Eynsford and Haysden in Tonbridge; along river banks in Maidstone; around lakes in Malling; through Great Lines Heritage Park in Gillingham; around Victoria Park in Ashford, Central Park in Dartford, Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells; and along the Crab and Winkle Way in Canterbury.

The one thing that really stands out when you go to a parkrun event for the first time, is how friendly they are and there’s a real mix of ages and ability.

What makes parkrun truly special though is the volunteers that come out in all weathers to stage the events in their local communities.

Without them, we wouldn’t have these great events and they are the inspiration to the many that don their trainers and make their way around the courses.

Their encouragement is evident as you make your way around and having experienced both parkrun and junior parkrun now on a regular basis, it’s the volunteers that make the weekend runs truly special.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Why not find out for yourself what parkrun is all about? Just go along to your local parkrun with your free personal barcode, which you can get by registering at www.parkrun.org.uk and give it a go.

I have gone from going reluctantly as I prepared for the Brighton Marathon earlier this year to someone who’d be disappointed if I miss my weekend runs.

I’m that inspired by the benefits of running that I have already signed up for the London Marathon in 2016 and took part in my second marathon last week with Ben Smith as part of The 401 Challenge – 401 marathons in 401 days – read all about that here:

http://www.kentsportsnews.com/blog-a-man-on-the-run-401-of-them-29-10-2015/

Hardly a day goes by now that I don’t get out and run at least 5km around my local roads, but it’s at parkrun that I get the most enjoyment.

The reason for that is because I get to run with friends and strangers. There’s no better feeling than seeing people who wouldn’t necessarily be a runner get out and do something truly amazing.

I’d like to think that not only my friends are seeing the health benefits from running, but are getting the same enjoyment I get.

I’m already up to five different parkrun locations and have taken part in over 25 parkruns and 14 junior parkruns and would have to say myself and now my daughter are officially converted.

For more information about parkrun and to register for an event in Kent, please visit: www.parkrun.org.uk

For more information about running in Kent or to find your local running group, please visit: www.kentsport.org/run