Harrogate Parkrun is back tomorrow but the advice to runners is to be cautious and responsible

Even though excitement is building it is still expected be a low key return for Parkrun tomorrow, Saturday at 9am on the Stray in Harrogate, Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough and Fountain’s Abbey in Ripon
Flashback to a Harrogate Parkrun on the Stray before the pandemic.Flashback to a Harrogate Parkrun on the Stray before the pandemic.
Flashback to a Harrogate Parkrun on the Stray before the pandemic.

After 16 months' absence during the pandemic, volunteer organisers are keen to make sure all runners are as Covid secure as possible.

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Although everyone is delighted this hugely popular event is restarting after the Government lifted the rules on social distancing and limits on the number of people who can gather outdoors, the feeling is not to do anything silly.

The advice to participants in this free 5k race is to distance themselves and to respect other people’s personal space at all times.

Spitting or high-fiving are not allowed.

And participants should keep their distance when their barcode is scanned

Until as recently as June hundreds of Parkruns were still up in the air as landowners and local authorities took a cautious approach, leading to a desperate appeal by World Athletics president Lord Coe to decision makers to support what he described as "one of the nation's greatest public health initiatives."

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Volunteers behind Harrogate Parkrun had been all set to go on the original restart date of June 5th after securing the approval of Harrogate Borough Council.

In total there are 729 Parkruns across the UK and more than two million runners have taken part in the timed runs since they were first launched in 2002.

Since Harrogate Parkrun started in 2012, a total of 16,670 runners have completed the 5k course on the Stray in a free to enter run marshalled by volunteers.