A few GoodGym members came online to do online yoga.

Yoga talk

One of the most overlooked benefits of yoga for runners and for life is how it trains you to stay relaxed while something feels uncomfortable. Holding a steady pose while the legs shake or the breath tightens isn’t about pushing harder; it’s about softening just enough to stay present. That skill transfers directly to running when a hill feels endless, or to life when things feel tense or uncertain. Yoga quietly teaches you that discomfort doesn’t always mean danger sometimes it’s just a moment asking for patience rather than force.

It was a pretty grim Sunday morning in December and competition from Bath Christmas Market and added traffic no doubt contributed to a lower turnout for Junior Parkrun at Odd Down sports ground.

That didn’t stop 50 4 to 14-year-olds giving their all as they pounded round the 2km track.

Mary and I were there to act as marshals and cheer on the children - and occasional parents. We donned hi-vis and giant red foam hands, which did their duty in dishing out hi-fives along the way. Catching them red-handed, so to speak!

Everyone got round safely - the fastest did it in just 6 minutes and 50 seconds.

It is always a privilege to be a part of parkrun which does so much to get young people enthusiastic about running.