By Jean Hollings
Photo: Simon Cullingworth
People are at the heart of Bramley parkrun, whether it’s the runners themselves or the volunteers without whom the event would never happen each week.
Carol Ramsden yesterday celebrated her 200th volunteering session in Bramley Park and loves helping out.
“Volunteering at Bramley parkrun, especially marshalling, makes me feel great.” she told WLD. “I discovered that I just love encouraging and cheering the runners and walkers.
“It has enabled me to meet so many friendly and kind people over the years, who I would never have encountered otherwise. It is rare now for me not to come across someone I know from parkrun when I am out shopping, running or even on a day trip to Scarborough!
“I started running in my mid-forties when my husband and I decided to do the Abbey Dash and found training on our own hard.
“We joined the beginners’ group at Horsforth Harriers and found that, like most clubs, they cater for all abilities and are so friendly. The first piece of advice I received was “If you cannot hold a conversation while you are training, then you are going too fast”. That’s the kind of running I like.
“It’s been over seven years and nearly 300 events since Bramley parkrun started, and although I’ve now volunteered there 200 times, I still look forward to being part of that lovely inclusive community every Saturday, even standing still.”
To register to run at parkrun go to the website, or for more information on volunteering contact the Bramley team at: bramleyoffice@parkrun.com.
