One-year trial for new coastal Parkrun

A weekly community-led running event will be trialled at Bottle Lake Forest Park in the city’s north-east starting on Saturday 8 October.

Christchurch City Council has approved the use of a five kilometre course for the Broad Park Parkrun for a trial period of one year.

Parkrun is an international organisation that runs free, timed five kilometre runs in 20 countries around the world. Events take place at 8am on Saturday mornings in parks and open spaces.

 New Zealand has 34 such events across the country with Hagley Park currently hosting the only Parkrun in the city, attracting hundreds of people to the park each weekend.

One of the organisers, Hayden Zervos is hopeful the new event will help to grow running in east Christchurch and support community health and wellbeing.

“I personally see Parkrun as a very positive thing. It's free, accessible and inclusive. I've been doing Parkrun for six or seven years and have seen a lot of people during this time who have significantly improved as runners.

“Being able to run and socialise with like-minded people is one of the best things about it and it has definitely helped me socially and to meet many other runners.”

The new course will start from the Broad Park carpark near Waimairi Beach and follow a route mapped out along tracks inside the forest.

Council Regional Parks Manager Kay Holder says Parkrun organisers had identified a need for a second location in the east of the city and approached the Council about a suitable site.

“We felt Bottle Lake would be well suited for such an event as there is a lot of surrounding space for other park users and the Broad Park area provides good access to parking.

“Having this one-year trial period will help us and the organisers establish if this will be a suitable permanent location for this event.”

Funding towards a defibrillator for the new event was provided by the Waitai Coastal-Burwood Community Board and Christchurch City Council.