Parkrun: Bevendean event hit by 25% drop in runners

A drop in Parkrun runners has left an East Sussex event director questioning whether to continue hosting the event.

Participation at the weekly 5km events is down 20% on pre-pandemic levels across the UK.

Research by Parkrun said Covid-19 lockdowns broke the habit of exercise for many, with some afraid to restart due to a lack of fitness.

The Bevendean Down event has seen weekly numbers drop from 40 participants to 30.

Parkrun is a free event for participants of all abilities that takes place in dozens of locations across the UK every Saturday at 09:00. All events are run by volunteers.

Felicity Alder, the Bevendean Down event director, which is held just north of Brighton's Whitehawk Estate, said six volunteers are needed to safely run the race each week.

She said: "A lot of people got out of the regular routine of doing exercise during Covid and haven't got back into it.

"When we first came back from lockdown, it was around 15 last summer. At one point I wondered if it was even beneficial to have an event."

Chrissie Wellington, global head of health and wellbeing for Parkrun, said: "The fear of not being fit enough, being a shadow of your former physical self, has really put people off."

Across the UK, average numbers were been down by a third, until new initiatives to promote events such as 'Parkwalk' in October sparked an uplift.

In 2022, more than 100,000 Parkrun walks were recorded, with more than 10,000 people walking at events for the first time.

Parkrun is recommended by the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), with doctors advising patients to take part for a range of physical and mental benefits.

Dr Hussain Al Zubaidi, lifestyle and physical activity lead for the RCGP, said: "Looking at all the people running and cycling during lockdown, I expected physical activity events to be bustling but that's not been the case.

"That's disappointing because conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and mental health conditions like depression can all be related to a lack of movement."

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