Lakeside goes green as runners step it out for graduation day

Green shirts were the order of the day at the Willen Lake parkrun as the latest group of more than 100 beginners tackled the 5k distance to cap off their 10-week course, delivered by the Redway Runners.

A total of seven beginners groups started in April, each led by a member of Redway Runners’ Beginners Run Lead Team, and supported by a large team of helpers.

At the start of the course, when many could not run for a whole minute, virtually every beginner ran the whole route on Saturday, July 1.

Run lead and beginners co-ordinator Annette Smyth said: “It’s fantastic to see how much they develop in just a couple of months and it’s this that makes it so worthwhile for me and all the other run leads.”

The graduation parkrun is a real celebration event for all concerned. Each beginner had a Redway Runner buddy to support them round the route, offer encouragement and help them with the process of getting their time recorded at the end.

The standard Redway Runners beginners courses are 10 weeks long but they also provide an extended version for those who feel they need more time to build up their running ability. The popular courses are free and after a break for the summer will start again in early September.

The Redway Runners, which formed in 2011, now has 1,200 members. Visit www.redwayrunners.com