Categories / Running & athletics
Featured in: Exercise for depression and anxiety, Free exercise, Exercise for teenagers, Best exercise for stress
parkrun
Free weekly timed 5 km run or walk in local parks.
How to start
Register once on the parkrun website, print your barcode, and turn up at a local event on a Saturday morning at 9 am. It is a free, timed 5 km run or walk. Walking is welcome.
How to progress
Go along weekly. Run, jog or walk as you like. Many people do their first event at an easy pace and later try to beat their time.
What the evidence says
Evidence: limited
Evidence on parkrun comes mainly from surveys, not trials. A 2025 survey of 78,662 UK parkrun participants found that health status, especially mental health, had a very large effect on life satisfaction, while the change in activity after joining had a small effect. A separate study compared people who came to parkrun through Couch to 5K with other parkrunners. The studies cannot show that parkrun itself causes better health.
Take care: It is a timed event, so it is easy to start too fast. Begin at a pace you could chat at. Check with a GP first if you have a heart or health condition.
Sources
12-week starter plan
One parkrun a week is the core. Add easy sessions in between if you want to improve, and be happy to walk if you need to.
Tick each week as you finish it; your ticks are saved on this device only. Repeat a week if it felt hard. Weeks 4, 8 and 12 hold steady so you can settle. This is a general plan, not medical advice.
Add reminders to your calendar
Pick your days and time. You will download a calendar file that adds 12 weeks of reminders to Google, Apple or Outlook calendar.
Calories and weekly minutes
Enter your details for a rough estimate. Based on about 8 METs (Running or jogging 5 km at an easy to steady pace (estimated)). Real figures vary by 20% or more between people.
Tips and common mistakes
Tips
- Start near the back so you are not swept along too fast.
- Walk the hills if you need to.
- Tell the tail walker you are new: they are there to help.
Common mistakes
- Starting too fast and fading.
- Forgetting your barcode (you are not timed without it).
- Treating it as a race when you only wanted a morning out.
Kit and cost
Free Approximate UK prices.
- A printed or phone barcode from your free parkrun registration
- Comfortable shoes
- Layers for the weather
Frequently asked questions
Is parkrun free?
Yes. It is free to join and free to take part, run by volunteers.
Can I walk it?
Yes. Walkers are welcome and a tail walker finishes last. It is a run or a walk, not a race.
Are there junior parkruns?
Yes. Junior parkrun is a free weekly 2 km event for children aged 4 to 14, usually on Sunday mornings.
How good is parkrun for health?
The research is mostly surveys, which cannot prove cause. Taking part is linked to better wellbeing, and the social side may play a part.
Good for: Heart & fitness Fun & social Mood & stress
Compare with similar options
| parkrun | Jogging | Hash Running | Couch to 5K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical session | 40 min × 1/wk | 30 min × 3/wk | 60 min × 1/wk | 30 min × 3/wk |
| Effort | ●●●○○ | ●●●○○ | ●●●○○ | ●●●○○ |
| Cost | Free | Low cost | Free | Free |
| Equipment | No equipment | No equipment | No equipment | No equipment |
| Impact | High impact | High impact | Medium impact | High impact |
| Fitness needed | Any level | Some fitness | Some fitness | Any level |
| Evidence | limited | moderate | limited | limited |