Newbury Parkrun to return this Saturday

Dust off your running shoes because Newbury Parkrun will return this weekend after 20 months away.

The popular 5km running event, which takes place at Greenham Common, hasn’t been held since March last year after concerns over the common meant it couldn’t restart when lockdown restrictions were lifted in July.

However, provisional permission has now been granted by the Greenham and Crookham Commons Commission for the event to return for an initial six month period.

The commission, which oversees the land with the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, will then review the situation.

The run will start at 9am on Saturday.

Newbury Parkrun said on Facebook that the volunteers roster for Saturday’s run is now full, but the organisers are keen to begin filling spaces for subsequent weeks.

To volunteer, email newbury@parkrun.com.

In order to reduce the run's footprint on the common, organisers have said that dogs will no longer be allowed at the run and must be left at home.

Runners are also asked to always stay on the paths, including to and from the start/finish line, and organisers encourage participants to walk, run or share a car to get to the common.

They have also requested participants to only use the Control Tower car park if car-shared, and for participants to volunteer, rather than run, once a month.

Dogs are no longer allowed at the run and must be left at home, and runners are asked to always stay on the paths, including to and from the start and finish line.