Since November 2021 more than 1,000 people have visited Alton Water to take part in the weekly Saturday morning parkrun – many of them on more than one occasion.

This fun, free, friendly community 5km event is open to all – runners, joggers, walkers and spectators. Organised entirely by volunteers, it's a great start to the weekend and offers something for everyone. Volunteering is another way to get involved if running or walking isn't for you.

Cheerful marshals who shout encouragement always give the participants a boost and there are equally valuable roles in the finish area to ensure that – although it is not a race – everyone gets their finishing time recorded.

Very often families take part together with some members walking or running, others joining in by spectating or helping and rounding things off with breakfast at the café together afterwards.

Anglian Water who run the park have generously given car park concessions for parkrun. Participants get a special parking rate of just £1, using the car parks near the café at the main entrance and volunteers can park for free – so if a group of runners/walkers in the same car can also bring a volunteer with them it won't cost them anything to park.

Getting involved couldn't be simpler – just register on the parkrun website to get a barcode and turn up.

Everything is explained at the first timers' welcome at 8.50 a.m. and once the run gets going at 9.00 a.m. nobody is left behind thanks to the tailwalker at the back of the field.

If you'd like to find out more about Alton Water parkrun then drop the team an email at [email protected] or find them on Facebook.