Covid: Councils urged to allow England Parkrun events to resumeon May 25, 2021 at 12:13 am

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

The organisation has delayed its reopening of 5k running events until 26 June over land permissions.

A 5km Parkrun in Leeds

image copyrightPA Media

Weekly Parkrun events should be allowed to resume in England, cabinet ministers Robert Jenrick and Oliver Dowden say.

Writing to councils, the ministers said exercise was “vital” for physical and mental health.

The 5km local runs have yet to restart despite organised outdoor sport being allowed without a cap on numbers since 29 March under eased Covid rules.

On Friday, Parkrun said it had been forced to delay its planned reopening in England due to land permissions.

The organisation had hoped to restart events on 5 June after it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but fewer than half of its venues approved the runs.

It said 250 locations in England had given them permission to run on the planned date, but that this fell “far short” of the number needed to prevent overcrowding at the areas given the go ahead.

In a letter to all councils in England, the communities secretary, Mr Jenrick, and the culture secretary, Mr Dowden, said sport and physical activity were particularly important “as we recover from the pandemic”.

The ministers acknowledged the pressures that local authorities were under to consider requests for organised outdoor sports safely, but they stressed these events were exempt from legal gathering limits and could take place with any number of participants as long as they were in line with Covid guidance.

Around 150 landowners, including a number of local authorities, have either refused permission for Parkrun to return, or not yet replied to correspondence from the organisers, according to the letter.

It added: “Parkrun needs approximately 80% of Parkruns to be allowed to go ahead to prevent people travelling across the country from areas without a Parkrun operating, to ones which are.”

The letter said the government had been clear that Parkrun events were legally able to take place, with research showing mass-participation events such as marathons and fun runs can take place safely.

“In the interest of public health they should now restart,” it said.

“We therefore strongly urge local authorities to ensure that they are applying their powers in a consistent and proportionate manner and progressing Parkrun’s applications at pace in order to allow these events to return as soon as possible,” Mr Jenrick and Mr Dowden said.

Parkrun says it is hoping runs can resume on 26 June in Northern Ireland and on 3 July in Scotland. It is waiting to confirm a date for returning in Wales.

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Netanyahu: A shrewd leader who reshaped Israelon June 13, 2021 at 6:21 pm

Loved and loathed, Israel's ousted long-term PM made his mark on the country at home and abroad.image copyrightReutersHe had been called "the King of...

Tom Tugendhat: From wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to front line at Westminsteron July 15, 2022 at 11:23 am

A profile of the former soldier now bidding to be Conservative leadership and prime minister.A profile of the former soldier now bidding to be...

Covid: Woman aged 90 died with double variant infectionon July 10, 2021 at 11:11 pm

Simultaneous infections are rare but can happen, particularly in people yet to be vaccinated, warn experts.image copyrightGetty ImagesIt is possible to catch two Covid...

No address? Give the postie a 57-word description insteadon January 7, 2022 at 7:25 am

An envelope with a 57-word mini-biography rather than a street address finds the right person.An envelope with a 57-word mini-biography rather than a street...

Brazil kindergarten attack: Man kills four children in Blumenauon April 5, 2023 at 3:37 pm

A man armed with a hatchet forced his way into a kindergarten in the city of Blumenau in southern Brazil.Image source, ReutersBy Vanessa BuschschlüterBBC...