🎵🎶 But I would run 5000m and I would run 500 more! 🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏽‍♀️ 🎶🎵

We gave up a lie in on Saturday morning to proclaim the name of Goodgym and lend our hands in taking over all volunteer positions at Kingston's 500th Parkrun event!

Laura and Kate arrived first on set-up duty to meet our fab run director Fiona and got to work with putting everything in place. The parkrun signs were set out and pegged into place and next to come out was the funnel. Laura was new to Parkrun and so she may not have got it when Kate said the funnel start here  . With funnel poles in place after a couple of realignments and cones in their rows, it was time to do a speedy route check on our bicycles. We cycled off armed with a bag of sawdust to create some arrow art and show the runners that there was only run direction to go to Parkrun successfully! We also needed to make sure the path was clear for the runners but I sawdust the one branch that needed to be moved over to the side!

Meanwhile 14 other Goodgym volunteers had begun to arrive by the starting point hailing from Goodgym Richmond, Hounslow, Lambeth and of course Kingston!

Rob and his assistant/side kick Goodgymer-in-training Arthur arrived promptly to set up a Goodgym table and banner and distribute leaflets to promote Goodgym.

As all eager volunteers gathered around for a briefing from our run director, the sawdusters returned.

Jane, Jessica and Hannah were the motivating marshals that spread themselves out further along the course to cheer on the runners while Adam made sure that no one was left behind in his position as tail walker.

Jo did a great job of welcoming the new runners in her role leading the 'first-timers briefing' and all knew what to expect and how it would all work.

Laura and Kate made it over to the start line to stand on a bench and shout warnings of its presence for the runners speeding around it but not before they needed to briefly dismount the bench to request a Thames path dawdler to move to the side!  Bench you didn't expect we'd have to do that!

A big thank you to David who had kindly volunteered last minute to take on the role of wheelchair guide. It was wheelie great to have him along to join us!

Thank you to the fab Hounslow group for supporting with the finish tokens distribution (Michelle and Andy) and the collection of the tokens as they were scanned by Eloise, Matt and Kate P.

Precise and diligent timekeeping was done by Kingston's Caroline and Samia (at over 300 good deeds!) and kept on track by Matt who was said to have "full focus on the funnel" as he tried out a new position of funnel manager.

A successful takeover by a Goodgym team effort across the running areas of South/South West London! A big congrats to Matt Nash of Hounslow on his recent milestone of 50 good deeds and Samia's 300!