Run report courtesy of Cynthia Fry
(Thank you on behalf of the kellands park junior parkrun team)
Kellands Park junior parkrun #1
July 28, 2024
DEBUT
Mother Nature certainly rolled out the red carpet for KPjp's inaugural. What more could we have wished for than a morning of bright sunshine to welcome our 69 sunny dispositioned juniors! Add in 29 brilliant volunteers & we were set to launch KPjp's debut. Lucky us to have a built-in cheering section from the families & friends who joined in to encourage the juniors on their merry way. This was my very first visit to the beautiful Kellands Park. What a lovely little gem of a venue for a junior parkrun! There's even a playpark section as a bonus. What a perfect spot to get into the swing of things before it was time for the...
WARM UP
What a treat to have juniors Fergus & Orla host the Warm Up portion of the programming. Thanks Fergus! Thanks Orla! Not only did this dynamic duo lead the Warm Up, but they also took their spots on the Start Line when it came time to launch our 69...
FIRST TIMERS
Inaugural parkruns offer up a unique statistic in that every parkrunner in the results is a "First Timer". Above & beyond all 69 of our 69 juniors being First Timers at Kellands Park junior parkrun, 24 of those 69 were embarking on their very first junior parkrun ever! Welcome aboard everyone! For juniors who are speed oriented, your initial parkrun at any event establishes your time to beat should you be on the hunt for a Personal Best time. That means next week's KPjp edition offers up your first chance to snap up a PB time on the KPjp course. You might even find yourself at the pointy end of the field chasing...
WHO'S ON FIRST
Here's how the 1,2,3 positions played out in the 4 junior Age Categories:
JM10
1. Lawson in 7:44
2. Hudson in 8:17
3. Rory in 8:37
JM11-14
1. Cullen in 7:01
2. Charlie in 7:50
3. Euan in 7:52
JW10
1. Alisha in 9:30
2. Havana in 9:38
3. Grace in 9:52
JW11-14
1. Hayleigh in 8:25
2. Charlotte in 9:05
3. Annabelle in 9:11
Topping the chart was Cullen with his 7:01 as KPjp's first ever First Finisher in the Male Category! Hayleigh's 8:25 landed her as our first ever First Finisher in the Female category! Congratulations to you both! You've set the bar high with those times!
Though some run for speed, others are motivated by going the distance. Running or walking 2k is a fab achievement & one that is celebrated at junior parkrun by...
MILESTONE MOMENTS
As juniors accumulate junior parkruns, they earn milestone wristbands at the following levels:
11 junior parkruns = Half Marathon wristband
21 junior parkruns = Marathon wristband
50 junior parkruns = Ultra Marathon wristband
100 junior parkruns = 100 wristband
250 junior parkruns = 250 wristband
Once a wristband has been earned, it can be collected from the Run Director the next time at junior parkrun. In the interim, a milestone certificate can be downloaded & printed off by visiting the junior's parkrun profile's progress tab. The certificate is a fun keepsake to mark the milestone achievement. For those who keep scrapbooks....the certificates would make a great addition!
THE BIG PICTURE
Here's how the numbers stacked up after KPjp's debut on the junior parkrun stage:
Number of events: 1
Finishes: 69
Volunteers: 29
PBs: 0
Average Finish Time: 11:37
Groups: 5
TICK TALK
What makes junior parkrun tick? Community. When the community comes together to support their local junior parkruns then those events thrive & soar. The events become staples in their communities & grow from strength to strength. Our volunteers are at the heart of junior parkrun & the reason the events can run every Sunday. Those donning the high-vis volunteer vests join a vast network of volunteers who keep their junior parkruns ticking along like clockwork. When you think about it, it's quite the phenomenon that this is magic we ourselves make happen here in our own communities. I come from a bit of an outsider-looking-in perspective. I'm Canadian & we don't have junior parkrun events in Canada (yet!). It really makes me appreciate the gift that junior parkruns bring to the UK communities. What an asset for the 4-14 year olds to have free, weekly 2k events available to them. Think of the health benefits for both the juniors & the volunteers. Of course there's the physical side of running or walking for 2k, but additionally there's the social aspect of being involved in a community event. I'm a super-fan of junior parkrun, but I'm not just a fan cheering on from the sidelines. I love volunteering at junior parkrun & highly recommend lending a hand with the...
DREAM TEAM
Thank-you to this dream team of 29 volunteers who banded together to launch KPjp's inaugural:
Sophie Bedford, Steve Bedford, Susan Bedford, Richard Bowie, Catherine Brown, Glen Chalmers, Samantha Crawford, Gordon Esslemont, Shona Fowlie, Cynthia Fry, Claire Gallagher, Fergus Gallagher, Orla Gallagher, Naomi Milne, Emma Murray, Shaun Murray, Eilidh Paterson, Jill Elaine Pirie, Flora Raffan, James Rayne, Nik Robinson, Eric Simpson, Andrew Stewart, Caris Strachan, Linda Walker, Adanna Watson, Tammy Wilson, Catherine Woodco*ck & Gail Woodco*ck.
Heading up our star-studded cast of volunteers were Sophie & Jill who were making their Run Directorial debuts. From my Tinky Winky perspective, this newly minted event unfolded seamlessly. It looked to be smooth sailing from tip-to-Tail Walker. Kudos to Sophie, Jill, the core team & the band of merry volunteers who shone so brightly. Stars every one of you. Speaking of stars, whodathunk KPjp's debut would magic us into...
LAA-LAA LAND
Team Teletubby spotted an opening in their date book & were able to pop by for a cameo appearance at KPjp's debut. A huge thank-you to Laa-Laa, Dipsy, Po & Tinky Winky for dropping in for a frolic. But the Laa-Laa Land magic didn't end there! The Tele Fab Four teamed up with their friendly neighbourhood Spider-man who swung by to help guide & cheer on the juniors. High fives were in abundance with Spider-man handing out a master class in the art of high-fiving. But wait...there's more... Can he swing from a thread? Take a look overhead. Kudos to Spider-man who always brings his own brand of magic to the show. Another stand out, jump up, swing around performance from everyone's favourite web slinger!
BEHIND THE SCENES
A standing ovation to Event Director Sophie Bedford & her core team who were the driving force behind bringing Kellands Park junior parkrun to fruition. Much goes on behind the scenes to birth a new event. In addition to forming a core team, funding must be secured. KPjp were extremely fortunate to receive donations from Aberdeenshire Council, Garioch Area Committee, Cairnrowan Custom Homes, Aberdeenshire Clubsport SCIO, Lawrence of Kemnay and Balmedie Servicing and MOT. Thank-you to all the donors who helped fund KPjp! We're off to a great start!
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Going forward, orchestrating a junior parkrun requires numerous volunteers to pitch in every week. We'd love to have you on board whether you're new to volunteering, just a dabbler, or a seasoned pro. And...there couldn't be any better time than the summer to splash around with us in the KPjp...
VOLUNTEER POOL
We were delighted to have Spiderman drop in for our KPjp inaugural, but you don't have to be a super-hero to jump into the volunteer pool. Besides, once you slip into one of our fancy-schmancy high-vis vests, you'll instantly morph into a KPjp super-hero! Amongst those dipping their toes in the volunteer pool are parents, friends, families, neighbours & sometimes even folks who come from away for a spot of "volunteer tourism". The volunteer roster for the next 4 weeks is postedon our website.
Take a gander & if you spy a spot you fancy, do get in touch. Be sure to join us...
NEXT TIME
Richard Bowie & Gordon Esselmont take the helm as Run Directors for the 2nd edition of KPjp on August 4, 2024. This is their debut on the Run Directing stage so be sure to give them an extra cheer!
junior parkrun cheers,
Reporter-on-the-Run
Cynthia Fry (aka Tinky Winky)
