Northamptonshire’s parkrun community is set to grow in early 2026 with the launch of Queensway parkrun in Wellingborough - the town’s first full 5K parkrun event. The new event will take place at Queensway Park, with the course now finalised and preparations well underway. 

Organisers have confirmed that the inaugural run is expected to take place in late January or early February 2026, offering a new weekly option for runners and walkers across the county. 

The event will be particularly exciting for dedicated parkrunners taking part in the parkrun alphabet challenge, where participants try to complete a parkrun beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Queensway will offer one of the rarest letters, with only three other Q parkruns currently operating in England: Queen Elizabeth near Portsmouth, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Horncastle, and Quaker’s Walk in Wiltshire.

For local runners, it means less travel to join the parkrun community. At present, the nearest full events are in Irchester Country Park, Kettering, and Northampton, though Wellingborough does host a 2K junior parkrun at Croyland Park on Sunday mornings.

The new event comes after Northamptonshire Sport secured funding from Sport England’s £250 million investment earlier this year, which included exploring new opportunities for community running. The idea for a Wellingborough parkrun was put to residents as part of that consultation – and is now becoming a reality. The team behind Queensway parkrun say they are aiming to build a welcoming, inclusive event for all abilities. 

If you'd like to know more, keep an eye on the parkrun website. 

Image: Wikipedia