553 runners took part as the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation hosted the Woodhouse Moor Parkrun event on Saturday 11th May.

We decided to host the event, which is a weekly 5k run around the park, to celebrate our runners who recently completed the ‘Couch to 5k challenge’. Three of them completed their first ever Parkrun, for which they should be extremely proud.

The race was open to people of all ages and ability, and we were delighted to see so many people not only taking part but also supporting the participants and volunteering their time to help manage the event.

After arriving early on what was a perfect day, our 11 YCF volunteers were allocated their roles by the race director before spreading the message of the Foundation to as many runners as possible before the race began!

After the event, the tired runners and volunteers were treated to an array of refreshments and asked to stamp their thumb on our specially designed #MADEMYMARK board, before heading home for a well-deserved rest!

After the run, YCF Health and Wellbeing Project Officer Jess Bunn said:

It was a lovely atmosphere, as it always is at Woodhouse Moor Parkrun and Parkruns generally! Everyone was so friendly and it was lovely to chat to everyone about the YCF! Social running is so great; there are so many people there for so many different reasons. There’s no real way to describe it, you’ve got to try it for yourself to really understand it I think! There’s something quite special about it.

The ‘Couch to 5k challenge’ was a 10-week programme aimed at individuals who didn’t undertake much physical activity, and by the end of the time period we had four core participants who were able to run the five kilometres.

The Foundation also operates a running club, with organised runs being delivered by trained run leaders every Monday evening from 5.30pm.

Known as the #RoseRunners, the group departs from the Yorkshire Cricket Centre on St Michael’s Lane in Headingley before hitting the streets around the local area.

For more information on the #RoseRunners and how to get involved, contact Jess Bunn via email: Jessica.Bunn@yorkshirecricketfoundation.com.