Organisers of the proposed new parkrun in Holyrood are appealing urgently to the Edinburgh running community for help.

Permission has already been granted from Historic Environment Scotland to start the new event – which will feature one lap of the road around iconic Arthur’s Seat – but a core group of at least 20 volunteers are needed to ensure that the free 5K run can be held safely and reliably every Saturday morning.

Volunteers are now being sought urgently to ensure that the new event can launch in March or April of this year as hoped.

The new parkrun is particularly in need of at least two people to take on the role of event director and six to serve as run director (usually every six to eight weeks). Another 10–15 volunteers are needed to help with other tasks, like barcode scanning, marshalling and finish funnel management. Over time, it is hoped that new volunteers will be recruited from runners – but a core group is needed now to get the event up and running.

Following the huge boom in running and walking after lockdown, a new parkrun in Edinburgh is desperately needed – and will help relieve some pressure on the nearby Portobello parkrun. It will also be a great asset to the Edinburgh community more widely, as well as provide important opportunities for volunteering and socialising, as well as maintaining and improving mental and physical health. 

Anyone able to join the core team – or wanting to learn more about volunteering at the event more generally – is invited to get in touch with runABC Scotland via our website contact form and we will pass on your details to the organising team.

Image: parkrun uk marketing (flickr)