- Oracle to invest $6.5 bn in Malaysian cloud services region
- Parkrun marks 20 years of a free weekly jog, run... or walk
- Oil extends rally after Iran attack, Hong Kong soars again
- Prostitutes, prospectors drive spread in DR Congo mpox capital
- Oil extends rally after Iran attack, Hong Kong resumes surge
- Extreme heat another form of death sentence in Texas jails
- Can music help plants grow? Study suggests sound boosts fungus
- Nike earnings drop, says turnaround will take time
- US dockworkers launch mass strike a month before election
- Iron Dome: Israel's key anti-missile shield
- Cranes stand still as US dockworkers fight for 'future'
- GM reports US sales dip, but says EVs grew
- Sheinbaum takes office as Mexico's first woman president
- Webb telescope detects carbon dioxide on Pluto's largest moon
- Stock markets slump, oil jumps on Middle East concerns
- French PM vows more taxes and spending cuts ahead of budget fight
- Germany inaugurates IBM's first European quantum data centre
- Stock markets diverge as eurozone inflation drops further
- France's richest man takes control of Paris Match magazine
- Anger meets tear gas as Nigeria hardship protests fizzle out
- US dockworkers launch mass strike month before election
- Evacuations from Lebanon: what we know
- Feathers fly at Chanel's Paris fashion return
- UAE oil giant ADNOC swoops on German chemicals firm Covestro
- Eurozone inflation falls under 2% for first time since 2021
- Coldplay ticket scalping fiasco sparks backlash in India
- Droughts drive Spanish boom in pistachio farming
- Tokyo recovers some losses to lead Asian markets higher
- Rural schools empty in North Macedonia due to exodus
- US dockworkers launch strike after labor contract expires
- Thousands evacuated as Super Typhoon Krathon approaches Taiwan
- Kenya airport whistleblower fears for his life
- Sheinbaum to take office as Mexico's first woman president
- Scientists fear underfunded Argentina research on verge of collapse
- US port officials gird for strike despite last-minute bargaining
- With 118 dead from Hurricane Helene, Biden defends US government response
- Breeder who tried to create enormous trophy sheep jailed in US
- Qatar Airways seeking 25% stake in Virgin Australia
- US port officials gird for strike as labor talks stay stuck
- As toll crosses 100, Trump puts Hurricane Helene at election center stage
- US Fed Chair sees 'further disinflation' in economy
- Epic Games sues Google and Samsung over app store
- Officials see no shortages from likely US port strike
- UK families of Gaza hostages warn Lebanon attack 'takes focus away'
- Shares in Stellantis, Aston Martin skid on profit warnings
- Dali prints found in London garage sold at auction
- ECB chief backs bank mergers amid UniCredit, Commerzbank talk
- China stocks soar on stimulus, but US and Europe retreat
- 100 dead in storm Helene damage, flooding across US southeast
- China stocks soar on stimulus, Europe slides on automaker woes
Parkrun marks 20 years of a free weekly jog, run... or walk
When Paul Sinton-Hewitt created Parkrun, only 13 people turned out at a London park. Twenty years on, millions jog, run or walk five kilometres (3.1 miles) every week.
Come rain or shine, runners from around the world brave the ever-constant 9:00 am start to race to the finish line at one of the 2,500 Parkruns across 23 countries.
"If someone had said to me 20 years ago that Parkrun was going to be such a phenomenon, I would certainly have walked away, saying that it was too much for me," Sinton-Hewitt told AFP.
"What began as a small gathering has become a powerful force for good, promoting health, happiness and togetherness."
On October 5, walkers, runners and the volunteers who give up their Saturday mornings to point the way, shout encouragement and dutifully clock times will mark two decades of Parkrun.
On the green grass of Hampstead Heath in north London, some 400 people take part every week, arriving just before the start either on their own or as a group, with friends or to meet new ones.
Afterwards, everyone is invited to the park cafe.
"It's the best way to start the weekend," said Olivia Unwin, a 26-year-old writer who took part in her first Parkrun last year and has since run 48.
"I don't run fast but that's not a problem. I've met lots of friends. It gets me awake and I never regret going."
Martin Boyle does Parkrun with his two teenage sons. "It's a family thing, a combination of fun and competition," he said.
"It's good for them and they see their improvement."
Some participants wear a blue t-shirt with "500" on it, signifying that they have reached the Holy Grail of more than 500 Parkruns.
Len Voralia is one of them. At 82, he has run 612.
"I'm slowing down. I make an effort," he said, vowing to keep turning up every Saturday until he is at least 90.
- Mental health -
Runners know exactly how long it has taken them to complete the course, thanks to an individual bar code they hand in at the finish.
"If some want to compete, if they want to be the fastest, they're welcome and we celebrate that," said Sinton-Hewitt.
But everyone of all abilities is welcome, he said.
"If others just want to walk and get some exercise, they're just as welcome. Exercise is natural, it can be fun. It doesn't have to be hard," he added.
Sinton-Hewitt was 44 when he created Parkrun after getting injured while training for a marathon.
"I was aware that I could use running as a very good tool to control my moods to help me deal with difficult times. Running helped me manage my mental health," he said.
From the first event at his local Bushy Park, in southwest London, a second was organised in nearby Wimbledon.
The first overseas event was in Denmark and there are now Parkruns from Australia and Zimbabwe to Germany and Ireland. Lithuania was the most recent country to join.
The phenomenon, however, has failed to take hold in some countries, notably France, where a medical certificate to participate is compulsory.
But in 20 years its growth has been astonishing: more than six million people have taken part, with over 100 million finishers, not to mention the 900,000 volunteers to organise events.
Parkruns only stopped during Covid -- and it has now branched out to children's events over two kilometres on Sunday morning and even to 25 prisons.
The Christmas run is one of the biggest of the year and often sees runners in costume.
"A lot of people are lonely on Christmas Day and this is an opportunity for lonely people to come together and meet," said Sinton-Hewitt.
"There are families who now come out before they open their presents."
J.Bondarev--CPN