17/10/2026
Thanks to Alexandra for her Run Report and congrats on the 250th.
Run Report Event #700 17th November 2026
700 parkruns and counting.
Tucked away in the heart of Nonsuch park sits a mansion with proper history. Look closely at the porch and you'll spot a carved stone block salvaged from Henry VIII's lost palace, dismantled in the 17th century to pay off royal gambling debts. Built in the 1700s and later given a grand Gothic-Tudor makeover, it still channels its royal past with stained-glass Tudor kings peering from the windows. It feels less like a stiff historic monument and more like a secret time capsule, which seems fitting for celebrating a historic parkrun milestone. This week marks Nonsuch's 700th event!
It is also a personal milestone as I reach my 250th parkrun. So I thought I'd take a moment to look back, both at how parkrun itself has transformed and at what Nonsuch has meant to this community over the past 15 years.
I started parkrunning in 2008 when there were only three events nationwide and I'd just turned 14. Those early days feel like a different era entirely. No barcodes, just metal discs handed to someone with a laptop, usually in the pouring rain. The queues were absolutely horrendous if you weren't home in under 20 minutes. People often laugh when I explain it now, but it's true, parkrun wasn't the huge force of nature it is today.
Fast forward to 2011, and parkrun had boomed beyond anyone's expectations. Banstead and Roundshaw were heaving with the demand, and Nonsuch arrived at exactly the right moment. I was among the 198 runners at that very first event, and remember thinking ‘This course is going to be so much fun!’
Over the years, the course has constantly evolved; partly to manage growing numbers, partly to tackle the winter mud that's always been Nonsuch's biggest headache. The old route, finishing across the path where we do now with a section through the woods at the back, had that notorious hill I absolutely hated. It was shorter though, which made it a brilliant place to snag a PB (something we all chase). When the mud became unmanageable, a winter course was introduced: a three-lap route finishing near the current start line. The current all-year-round route strikes a nice balance: the section around 2–3k reminds you parkrun is a workout, but the rest of the route is genuinely enjoyable. Exactly the kind of course that makes you want to come back week after week.
Here's what strikes me most, looking back: the one constant that's always remained is the community. Through all those changes, the barcodes, the technology, the course tweaks, it's the people that have kept me coming back. Parkrun has been there when I've fallen out of love with running, and somehow it always brings me straight back again. I think that's the real magic of it. Yes, we have times and places, and that personal ambition that drives us to chase that PB, running or walking the fastest time we've ever done. But what's remarkable is that you’re never doing it alone. You're racing against the clock, but doing it surrounded by people who genuinely want you to succeed. That combination of personal achievement and community care, that's what keeps us all coming back, week after week, for over 15 years.
In other exciting news this week also saw Nonsuch confirm their commitment to Christmas Day and New Years Day event. I know what your thinking, how can it be that time of year again already. I love Christmas so forgive me for getting excited early. I’ve actually got myself up and out of bed on Christmas Day for 16 years. That’s more than half my life. I do actually wonder who out there is as crazy as me and has done more than me than that. But I’ll leave that to the statisticians out there. On a serious note, I want to thank those who put these events on. Volunteering at any time of year is an incredible sacrifice but on Christmas Day it feels especially special. If you haven’t done a event on Christmas Day, I highly recommend, it feels like that old traditional way of life where you actually take a moment to reflect before the craziness of the day takes hold. I love the fact that if it wasn’t for parkrun, most family members or friends would look at you as completely crazy, but thankfully it gives us runners the perfect excuse to get out, run and not feel guilty when we’re knocking back that 3rd glass of w**e or 4th mince pie.
Here’s to the next 300 glorious events that’ll take us to 1000.
