Monday 20 February 2012

New Contributor: Kerry Noble Huddersfield parkrun

Name: Kerry Noble
Home parkrun: One half (the better looking half) of the ED team at Huddersfield parkrun
Date of first parkrun:  Volunteering 16/04/2011, running 19/11/2011
Total number of parkruns:  Volunteering 28+, running 4
Number of other parkrun locations run:  Cambridge (lovely flat course), Roundhay (lovely hilly course), Volunteered at Oldham (Wet, wet, wet)
My parkrun history: http://www.parkrun.org.uk/huddersfield/results/athletehistory?AthleteNumber=142126

Let me firstly point out, that I am not a runner.  And really, it is likely that I will never be a real runner.  It has been pointed out by the team at Huddersfield parkrun that as I have actually run a parkrun now, that I am technically a runner......but at the moment I am still denying it!  What I am though, is a passionate advocate of the wonders of parkrun.

I first was introduced to parkrun by my lovely friend (who is a runner) Sharon Whitworth (she has a lot to answer to), who suggested that my son, Jack (14), would like to pop down to the park for a quick run.  So, early one Saturday morning (very early, don't you know it's a Saturday and he's a teenager) we set off to Greenhead Park.  I duly dumped the teenager where all the runners were milling around and went off to buy my bacon sandwich.....just as I was about to sit down, with a coffee, eat said bacon sandwich and read the papers, the cry for volunteers came from the community room.  I looked at my coffee, bacon sandwich and paper and for some reason, totally unknown to man, I raised my hand and said "I can help out"......little did I know then what I would end up doing!

Three weeks later, Chris Smith (my parkrun wife) and I were handed the keys to Huddersfield parkrun and wished good luck! 

Since then I have made friends with runners, reluctant runners and non runners.  I have helped create the monster that is known as the Huddersfield Running Bunny (check out it's facebook page  www.Facebook.com/huddersfieldparkrunbunny), taken part in four actual running parkruns, eaten my body weight in cake, been part of a midnight sledging competition (I won), found myself dressed up in a park at 7.30am more times than is probably right (check out the photos on our facebook page www.Facebook.com/huddersfieldparkrun, supported parkrunners running other races, made a lot of bunny signs, danced in the disco dungeon, handed out Jaffa Cakes at Darkrun, won a drink at the pub quiz, admired a lot of men in tights, spent Christmas morning with incredible people ......and have laughed and laughed and laughed!

Huddersfield parkrun is probably one of the least sane parkruns.  We have a very large core group of volunteers, who at best are a little bit crazy and at worse are down right dangerous.  They seem to enjoy dressing up to run (?), have a love of bunnies and tell everyone they meet about parkrun.  Our numbers have grown in a year from the 75 mark to over 200 and they seem to be heading quickly to the 250 mark.  They also spend a lot of time making and eating cake!

At Huddersfield parkrun we have a lovely park to run in.  Greenhead Park is situated just half a mile from the centre of Huddersfield and has just had a whopping amount of money spent on restoring it to it's former glory.  It has the best parkrun cafe in the world (they have a certificate and medal to prove it) which now opens very early in order that I can get coffee (required part of parkrun), and is packed post run....in fact is so busy now they have had to expand into the community room.  The park also has a pretty cool zip wire.....which we have found totally confuses the Garmin and is impossible to log on Fetch!

I will be posting more about Huddersfield parkun, some sensible posts, some not so sensible, soon.

In the meantime.....why not come and visit us......we don't bite......most of the time ;-)

Kerry x

7 comments:

  1. kerry sums up the park run perfectly ,it,s great fun n kerry is as mad as everyone else and she is def a runner if it wasnt for kerry n the other volunteers ,it wouldnt be the same ,but once people start coming they return each week ,as they enjoy it so much park run is responsible for so many people putting their trainers on every week n keeping fit while having a laugh n thats what it,s all about dawn

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  2. Completely and utterly howling after reading this oh so true account of your parkrun exploits...amongst others, which have hurtled into your 'real' life faster than you can say 'Shazam! Have a great parkrun'
    The parkrun sledging competition was awesome but with no barcode verification, who will ever know who won that ;-)
    Looking forward to many more fantastic parkrun experiences with you in the driver's seat...herding all the bunnies!!!
    And I think you'll find that you are a runner by association if nothing else in your mind! Don't stop what you're doing x
    Nicki Dawson

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    1. Nicki, we all know that I won the sledging competition! You might have forgotten after knocking yourself out on the kerb.....but we all know I am the champion and I will be awarding myself a medal at the next parkrun social!

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    2. Excellent blog Kerry. Just about sums it up perfectly. You are a fantastic non-running event director heaven knows what would happen if you did actually start running :).
      Hope the madness continues - love it and it wouldnt be the same without you x
      Amanda Crozier

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  3. Thank you do much for posting this Kerry. A very interesting route you have taken to get into parkrun.

    It certainly sounds like you all have a lot of fun at Huddersfield parkrun.

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    1. We certainly do! We have the greatest team and parkrunners. It is the only and the best way to start the weekend!
      I have made some great friends and had great times. Thank you parkrun!

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  4. I described my run at Huddersfield as "a Bonkers course run by Bonkers people"- if you haven't been there try it!!!!

    Kerry- you are a nutter- love it!!!!

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