Whitley Chapel C of E First School Tyne Green parkrun Takeover!
As the sun rose over a beautifully misty autumnal morning at Tyne Green, preparations were underway to welcome parkrunners old and new. Volunteers from Whitley Chapel C of E First School arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, along with kind volunteers from Ponteland Runners and also members of the dedicated Tyne Green parkrun core team, who had warmly welcomed us for our school ‘Takeover’ event as part of an action-packed ‘Healthy School Week’!
As the mist began to clear, the first parkrunners started to arrive, some with short legs, long legs, two legs, four legs, four wheels… all excitedly embarking on the special parkrun experience shared by communities all over the world.
The run was off to a flying start, as a mixture of excitement and nerves calmed in readiness for the 5 kilometre adventure they were about to enjoy… or should I say endure! As participants, some only 4 years old, were approaching the halfway point, a passing train gave an extra incentive to press on in an effort to see who could keep up with the carriages chugging alongside them! Support from the fabulous marshals giving an extra boost for the return journey! An amazing performance from absolutely everyone who took part! Some of our youngest parkrunners even finding time to multitask and collect conkers from the beautiful horse chestnut trees that inhabit Tyne Green!
It was lovely to see those who had barcodes successfully scanned, wait to cheer on those final parkrun troopers, everyone coming in well under the hour! Rosy red cheeks, big breaths of relief and huge smiles were such moving sights as all parkrunners came across the finish line having all completed the course valiantly!
What an incredible achievement from all! Everyone travelling the same distance, all trying their best, all with the same sense of accomplishment. From the first parkrunner completing the course in 18:48 to the last through the funnel at 57:12 their achievement was equally amazing! The sense of pride was felt by all.
Well done to everyone who took part, it was a pleasure to watch you all enjoying the parkrun experience and for those of you taking part for the very first time welcoming you to the parkrun family!
The power of parkrun is truly amazing. The opportunity to bring communities together in a very special way, whilst giving everyone who laces up their sports shoes in time for that 9:00 start on a Saturday morning, wherever they find themselves, the power to improve their health, well-being and sense of community, whether that be their local community or the parkrunning community. Whitley Chapel First School are proud to call themselves members of both.
Thank you to Tyne Green parkrun for making it possible and thank you to all the parkrunners and those families from Whitley Chapel C of E First school who made it so magical. We loved supporting all of you! We hope you’ll be lacing up those shoes for 9:00 for many Saturdays from here on out! Happy parkrunning!
Anna Tweddell (Teacher at Whitley Chapel C of E First School)