How Riverfront parkrun is fostering a sense of community in Newport

THE parkrun is a global movement with just under 700 locations worldwide – yet this continent-spanning event has created, cultured and consolidated a sense of community in Newport.

The Riverfront parkrun, which includes a scenic run alongside the River Usk, hosts hundreds of runners every week.

“We have created a community in itself,” said Teej Dew, race co-ordinator at Riverfront. “We have whole families that run and it is great to see.”

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Every Saturday, runners old and young lace up and brave the early wake-up to run or walk 5km (3.2 miles). And if you’ve ever been to the Riverfront run, you will know Ms Dew.

“I am the one with the loud voice and megaphone,” she admits.

As runners twitch and shiver to fend off the biting morning cold or stretch to warm up, her booming voice sets out the safety guidelines and what to watch out for: buggies, bollards and bikes.

But this isn’t the ear-shattering shout of a strict teacher - the parkrun is open to everybody and its purpose is to ensure people have fun.

“Everyone is welcome, and it is not just for runners," said Ms Dew. “People can walk it if they want.

“We changed the name of the tail runner, the person who brings up the rear, to the tail walker for this purpose.”

Volunteers brave the weather to ensure the race goes ahead. Picture: ParkRun

As the Riverfront event approaches its third birthday in January, she explains how it has become “something much broader than running”.

“We have had a lot of people who could not run, didn’t even want to volunteer because their confidence was that low.

“They then walked it, jogged and then started running.

“One man said to me he had gotten his confidence back and said it had changed his life.”

Ms Dew said she only started doing the parkrun after giving her son a lift to one.

“My son wanted to run with some of his friends at the Tredegar House event, so I gave them a lift," she said. “I was not a runner, but I had a bit of a health scare at the time and I wanted to know what it felt like to run a 5k.”

After becoming a regular at Tredegar House, she and a few other runners began to have conversations with Chris Davies, the Parkrun ambassador for Wales.

“The original one at Tredegar House had hundreds and hundreds of people going to it every week.

“It had become more and more part of the conversation within the community, so we really did need another one.

“Chris had mentioned to us that he was thinking of setting up a new parkrun and a few of us thought ‘right, let’s get involved’.

“Chris had identified the Riverfront route and had it all planned out.”

Runners congregate before the race. Picture: ParkRun

For Ms Dew, it was the perfect location.

“It is next to a lot of communities over the river.

“I was particularly interested in that, getting participation up and getting more people involved.

“It encouraged people who couldn’t get to the parkrun in Tredegar House because they couldn’t drive to get involved.

“But we do have people who alternate between the two and there’s a real sense of community between us and Tredegar House.”

The event was organised by a host of people but running groups Lliswerry Runners and Caerleon Runners were instrumental in setting it up, she said.

But it all started with disaster. The first ever event in January 2017 had to be cancelled because of ice on the ground.

Enthusiasm wasn’t dampened though – in the three years since, 6,281 people have completed the course.

Indeed, a little under 40,000 individual runs have been completed, covering a staggering total distance of 195,185km. That would see you lap around world four times.

And you can often feel like you’ve conquered your own world when you pass the finish line.

Some early pace setters race away. Picture: ParkRun, Chris Hill

“Everybody is pushing themselves to their own limits and so they are so triumphant,” Ms Dew explains.

Of course, the event plays host to a core of elite runners.

“It is just wonderful to watch the really fast runners coming over the line.

“At 15, 16 and 17 minutes.

“It is just beautiful.”

The course record holder for males is athlete Abed Tewelderhan, who posted a time of 15 minutes and 28 seconds in August, 2018.

On the female side of things Natash Cockram holds the record, with a time of 17 minutes and 54 seconds.

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Just as impressive, perhaps, is the record for highest age grade, a calculation that uses the world record for a person’s sex and age – the higher the percentage, the better.

Brenda Avery, in the women’s 65-69 category ran a time of 24 minutes and 18 seconds, landing a score of 88.68 per cent which is considered to be a national level – just 1.32 per cent off what is considered to be world class.

For Ms Dew and her group of “core volunteers”, the parkrun is their “little injection of positivity for the week”.

“I absolutely love it,” she said.

So, if you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution, dusting off those old running shoes and blowing away the cobwebs with a parkrun is as good an option as any.

• Anyone is welcome to run the parkrun. It’s free. Just make sure you sign up on the parkrun website and print of a barcode to bring with you.
• Anyone is also welcome to volunteer: just message Riverfront parkrun’s Facebook page. Volunteering includes: cheering on runners, scoring times, ensuring safety and clearing away and setting up equipment.