💚🖤 What a week! With parkrun breaking the news, even non parkrunners were pitching in to express their views on the heavily debated data debacle. On the plus side, everyone now knows about the inclusivity of this wonderful event which is sure to see attendance numbers increase. In terms of your weekly Vegan Runners’ parkrun report the aim has always been to celebrate VR parkrun achievements, including opportunities for everyone to get a mention in a non-contentious manner – so here goes – I hope you enjoy it! 💚🖤
On the 10th February 2024, facing a plethora of meteorological and terrestrial conditions (namely mud and puddles in the UK), 863 VRs managed to attend 349 different parkrun events. 805 gained a finish token and we had over 58 wonderful volunteers. Outside of the UK we had VRs repping our club at events in:
5 Germany
5 Australia
2 New Zealand
1 South Africa
1 Singapore
1 Netherlands
1 Italy
1 Ireland
Plenty of marvellous meetups took place as always – thank you to Su Z Anne for this week’s wonderful photo from the Northampton meetup celebrating Paul Jones’ 250th parkrun event – an amazing achievement and clearly celebrated in style! 🎊🥳🎂
The most popular locations for VR get-togethers were held at:
25 University of Northampton parkrun
24 Victoria Dock parkrun
17 Pontefract parkrun
12 Springburn parkrun, Glasgow
11 Bartley Park parkrun
10 Eastbourne parkrun
9 Southsea parkrun
8 Southampton parkrun
8 Hillsborough parkrun
8 Gloucester City parkrun
7 Ashton Court parkrun
7 Preston Park parkrun, Brighton
7 Hunstanton Promenade parkrun
6 Bushy parkrun
6 Colwick parkrun
6 Valentines parkrun
6 Worcester parkrun
6 Alvaston parkrun
6 Tidworth parkrun
5 Arrow Valley parkrun
5 Whitstable parkrun
5 Princes parkrun, Liverpool
5 Medina I.O.W. parkrun
5 Pomphrey Hill parkrun
5 Lee-on-the-Solent parkrun
5 Rogiet parkrun
5 Marine Parade parkrun
5 Yarborough Leisure Centre parkrun
5 Five Arches parkrun
Our top five fastest ladies on this 2nd run of February 2024 were:
🥇19:36 Clare Meraz
🥇19:37 Naomi Sutton
🥇19:49 Caroline McAleese
🥇20:16 Hannah Shiels
🥇20:42 Lesley Connors
And our top five fastest men:
🥇16:45 Philip Nind
🥇17:03 Rhys Goddard
🥇17:27 Ciar Nixon
🥇17:33 Christopher Pearson
🥇17:36 Michael Slack
All achieving super impressive times – congratulations! 🏃♂️🏆
Seventeen amazing VRs came first in their gender position at their parkrun, kudos & congrats to:
🏆17:03 Rhys Goddard
🏆17:37 Matt Edmonds
🏆17:46 Pete Jnr Benedickter
🏆17:49 Naeem Stevens
🏆18:12 Harry Pannell
🏆18:19 Joseph Brown
🏆18:19 Scott Braunton
🏆18:22 Dan Stent
🏆18:23 Jake Stephens
🏆19:18 Andrew Millis
🏆19:36 Clare Meraz
🏆19:37 Naomi Sutton
🏆19:49 Caroline McAleese
🏆19:59 Hester Hill
🏆20:16 Hannah Shiels
🏆20:45 Elly Maggs
🏆21:24 Fiona Newman
The average time for all Vegan Runners to complete the course on this second event of February 2024 was 29:50. Plant power! 🥦🌱🌿🥗
Data is no longer easily available for VRs who were top age graded at their parkrun, neither are the marvellous milestones, so apologies for lack of mentions here. But I did notice a couple of special events alongside Paul Jones’ 250th:
🧦 David Baker completed his last and 25th parkrun since his MND diagnosis (having completed 152 parkruns in total) which he ran with his daughter Rachel Baker who was running her 25th parkrun and wife Alice (158). We wish you all the very, very best. 💚🖤
Roisin Damm completed her 100th parkrun in 28:52 at Westpark parkrun – congratulations! 🎉🎉
Lesley Ashton was first in her age category and Fiona Newman was first age graded – of course! 🥳🏃🏃
Shoutouts and accolades to these Vegan Runners who finished their parkrun in a multiple of fifty position:
📣50 Chloé Holland
📣50 Sarah Laws
📣50 Judy Johnson
📣50 Barnaby Hicks
📣100 Jane London
📣100 Melanie Hayes
📣100 Tim Bradshaw
📣150 Eve Orange
📣150 Mirek Salmon
📣200 Matleena Elonheimo
📣350 Rosie Lester
📣650 Ella Hill
📣800 Caroline Roberts
On the noughty step this week we have twenty terribly troublesome transgressors:
😈21:00 Llyr Roberts
😈22:00 Stuart Robertson
😈23:00 Ben Vick
😈24:00 Katie Layley
😈25:00 Mike Rogers
😈25:00 Rowena Owen
😈26:00 Callum Harling
😈26:00 Nick Russon
😈27:00 Andrew Kaye
😈29:00 Andy Straw
😈30:00 Doug Porter
😈30:00 Matt Prichard
😈31:00 Holly Vincent
😈31:00 Koby Crumpler
😈32:00 Karen Arkwright
😈32:00 Elizabeth Billingham
😈33:00 Graeme Harris
😈35:00 Jane Wills
😈45:00 Lana Dzananovic
😈55:00 Michael Beadle
Collecting a repdigit finish token this week were 43 VRs! Whoops and cheers with sweetcorn ears to:
🎉🌽11 Benjamin Smith
🎉🌽11 Christopher Jones
🎉🌽11 Hannah Shiels
🎉🌽22 Alexander Cox
🎉🌽22 Carl Mowatt
🎉🌽22 Haydn Whitmore
🎉🌽22 James Edward Jepson
🎉🌽22 Kevin Newell
🎉🌽22 Nina Nickerson
🎉🌽33 Daniel Wilson
🎉🌽33 Sam Bagnall
🎉🌽44 Fiona Cownie
🎉🌽44 Greg Turner
🎉🌽44 Jacob Butler
🎉🌽44 Rachel Toone
🎉🌽44 Sharon Weinstein
🎉🌽55 Tom Preece
🎉🌽66 Jan Basha
🎉🌽66 Tom Rogers
🎉🌽77 Margaret Pritchard
🎉🌽77 Martin Mcloughlin
🎉🌽77 Michelle Steer
🎉🌽77 Paula Hirst
🎉🌽88 Gary Jarvis
🎉🌽88 Heath Harvey-List
🎉🌽88 Ian Thurston
🎉🌽88 Kev Meaney
🎉🌽88 Moira Cuthbert
🎉🌽99 Angelina Farruggia
🎉🌽99 Debbie Kessell
🎉🌽99 Jane Forbes
🎉🌽99 Jim Mcalwane
🎉🌽99 Lana Sarey El-Din
🎉🌽99 Lisa Knights
🎉🌽99 Shireen Kassam
🎉🌽111 Amy Finnigan
🎉🌽111 Caitlin Barry
🎉🌽111 Hayley Burn
🎉🌽222 Sandra Morgan
🎉🌽333 Alice Connor
🎉🌽333 Catherine Thompson
🎉🌽333 Rich Lehmann
🎉🌽666 Matthew Sweed
A-maize-ing repping for the animals. 🖤🐄🐑🐤💚 “Oh please, enough with the puns,” I hear you cry, “Bring back Mike’s reports!” Well, I’m back. I’ve beaten cancer for the 3rd time and whilst I won’t be running for a while yet I’ll continue repping, reporting, volunteering and running again as soon as I’m able. Thank you to Mike and Gary for stepping in. Well done to all of you getting out there participating in parkruns and promoting veganism. It’s sad to hear of negative reactions from non-vegans and of VRs feeling uncomfortable with wearing the Vegan Runners’ logo. I’ve experienced the “bacon butty” comment myself plus resentment from actual family members on occasion. I’ve since discovered that vegaphobia is a recognised condition and found it helpful to understand some of the reasons behind it. It’s also enabled me to feel even more confident about facing non-vegan attitudes. I hope the link is helpful for some of you, too. Have a great week! 💚🖤