New athletics event is off and running
OBAN’S first free weekly 5km Parkrun started on Saturday morning, with 90 runners from as far as Fife running from Ganavan Sands to Dunbeg.
Parkrun, an international initiative, delivers parkland runs at around 800 locations in 11 countries every weekend, with more than two million registered runners worldwide. The run’s aim is to improve health, fitness and well-being, and are coordinated by local volunteers, for runners, joggers and walkers of all abilities. The Ganavan Sands Parkrun will start at 9.30am every Saturday, and be timed so runners can view their results.
Participants can register online on the Parkrun website, via the Ganavan Sands Parkrun page, and will be issued with a barcode, which they will need to bring with them to be timed on the day.
The Ganavan Sands Parkrun’s event director, Doreen Henderson, said: ‘It’s a run and not a race, and it is totally inclusive. The Parkruns have been really successful in other areas of the UK and we are really excited about starting this in Oban. Already 50 people have signed up to take part in the weekly runs, which is great news, and this cash from Scottish Sea Farms is helping to make it all possible.
‘We were delighted to have 90 runners at the first run on Saturday August 20. A couple had driven from Fife to run, a couple from Dundee came to Oban for their anniversary because of the run, and two families spent the weekend camping in order to run. We were amazed.’
Ms Henderson thanked sponsors for funding the £ 3,000 start-up costs, in- cluding the charity Argyll Beats Cardiovascular Disease (ABCD), Oban Common Good Fund, West Highland Housing Association and Scottish Sea Farms, as well as Dunstaffnage Estate for letting runners use the path on its land.