There's a brand new venue on the Scottish parkrun scene, and it looks to be a popular one, with Auldcathie District's first ever outing at the weekend managing to set two new records, one for the highest attendance ever recorded at a Scottish inaugural parkrun and the other for the busiest in Scotland on 7 January - with an incredible 601 people taking part.

Cutting the ribbon on the start line, Bo’ness-based Paralympian and world record holding wheelchair racer, Ben Rowlings, said: “It’s amazing to have parkrun come to Winchburgh and just incredible to see this level of turnout. Parkrun is about bringing a community together and getting active regardless of times, speed or disability and this event has the ability to do this within our local area, which is brilliant.”

Winchburgh’s Auldcathie District Park has been designed with parkrun in mind after the community raised the idea during initial consultations in 2018. It provides a stunning backdrop to the 5K challenge of award-winning greenspaces on the Union Canal flanked by dense woodland and with fully tarmacked cycle and walking routes throughout, providing full access for everyone including wheelchair users.

Personal Trainer and parkrun event director, Gillian Wells from Winchburgh, has been leading the campaign to secure a parkrun for Winchburgh Village (West Lothian). She said: “This is a really exciting moment for us. My passion is in inspiring people of all ages, shapes and sizes to get moving and parkrun is the perfect way to achieve this. Now more than ever it’s really important to encourage one another to look after our mental health as well as our physical and being able to access this free and inclusive event on your doorstep is invaluable."

Praising the volunteer’s efforts, Penny Lochhead of Winchburgh Developments Limited, said: “This is a fantastic, free weekly event that is going to offer a regular routine for people to get together, get exercising and enjoy this beautiful district park in the process. Gillian and her team of volunteers have done an amazing job to bring parkrun to Winchburgh."

The course is one of the most accessible parkrun routes in Scotland. The broadly flat 2.5K tarmac path is part of a fitness loop that takes runners from the recently opened ‘schools in the park’ education campus and Sports and Wellbeing Hub, down through the park towards the Union Canal, where it then loops back for a second circuit. In the next phase of the park’s development another 40 acres of greenspace will be added allowing for a full 5K circuit.

There are toilet facilities at the adjacent Sports and Wellbeing Hub in the car park at the start of the race and there will be hot drinks and treats awaiting the runners at the finish area from local business, Zac & Co. 

To find out more about Auldcathie parkrun and to register head to the parkrun website.

Image: Gary Baker Photography