Olympic star set for Burnley junior parkrun

Burnley Olympian Sophie Hitchon is set to volunteer at the town's junior parkrun this weekend.
Sophie HitchonSophie Hitchon
Sophie Hitchon

The Olympic bronze medalist will be volunteering as a tail walker during the free 2k community event that takes place every Sunday in Towneley Park.

Sophie is one of around 250 National Lottery funded athletes who will be attending a parkrun event over the next three weekends as part of #teamparkrun, an initiative that invites Britain’s top athletes to volunteer as tail walkers at parkruns and junior parkruns across the country.

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Each of parkrun’s 800 events across the UK have volunteer tail walkers who provide support and encouragement for people who choose to walk the event, as well as ensuring that nobody finishes last at a parkrun.

Heather Scott, event director at Burnley junior parkrun, said: “The most common reason by far for someone registering with junior parkrun and not participating is that they don’t feel capable of running the 2k, so #teamparkrun provides a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how inclusive parkruns are and how warmly we welcome walkers.

"I would encourage anyone to come along to our event and see for themselves - walk, jog, run, volunteer or simply watch. parkrun is a socially-focussed event that is all about encouraging the local community to get out in the fresh air and to enjoy our open spaces.”

parkrun registration is free at www.parkrun.org.uk/register

Burnley junior parkrun, for ages four to 14, takes place at 9am every Sunday in Towneley Park. The start is next to the children’s play park near the Riverside Carpark (£1.50 fee for parking).