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10
Sept 2020
Harrogate district Parkruns on track to return next month
Harrogate district Parkruns look set to return by the end of October.
Parkrun sees runners of all abilities take part in a 5km run every Saturday morning. But the organisers paused the event at the beginning of March, just ahead of the national lockdown.
Now, after months of drawing up plans and waiting for social distancing rules to relax, Parkrun is ready to resume.
Parkrun holds three events in the Harrogate district: in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.
Crowding at the starting and finishing lines is one of the main concerns. The official Parkrun framework admits there is no way to maintain social distance at these points.
But Tom Williams, the global chief operating officer of Parkrun and Harrogate resident, told the Stray Ferret the benefits outweighed the coronavirus risks:
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The government has banned social gatherings of more than six people from Monday, but with some exceptions.
Mr Williams said he did not think the new rules would affect Parkrun because it is an outdoor sports event with minimal contact but he said it would monitor the situation.
In one of Parkrun's recent surveys, almost 80% of respondents said they would return to Parkrun in four weeks' time if the events were to come back in a safe way.
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