The grounds of the Woking Leisure Centre welcomed runners and families this morning with surprisingly warm air and an inviting buzz of excitement. Despite earlier forecasts hinting at unsettled weather, the start of the junior parkrun felt almost balmy. In fact, it was warm enough that Adam had to remove his jacket before taking up his marshal position — a sure sign that the morning held more promise than chill. As the young runners gathered at the start line, there was a vibrant hum of anticipation. The warmth added a gentle comfort to the occasion, allowing everyone to relax into the moment. Laughter floated across the course, trainers shuffled eagerly on the pavement, and the countdown sparked a wave of energy that carried the runners forward in a joyful surge. Adam and Karen stood proudly as marshals, positioned along the route to guide and encourage. With sleeves rolled up and spirits high, they offered enthusiastic cheers and reassuring directions. Their presence was a steady beacon along the course, helping runners navigate each turn with confidence. Every “Well done!” and “Keep going!” seemed to add an extra spring to the young athletes’ steps. At the finish funnel, Ola carried out his barcode scanning role with warmth and efficiency. He greeted each finisher with a bright smile, carefully scanning barcodes and ensuring every achievement was recorded. The finish area buzzed with pride — flushed faces, triumphant grins, and the unmistakable glow of accomplishment. The thrills of the run were evident in the determined sprints, the personal bests, and the powerful final pushes toward the line. Supporters lined the course, clapping rhythmically and celebrating each child’s effort. It was a morning defined by enthusiasm, teamwork, and resilience. Only after the final runner had crossed the finish line did the weather gently shift. A soft drizzle began to fall, almost as if nature had waited respectfully for the race to conclude. The light raindrops added a refreshing close to the event, cooling the warm air and creating a serene atmosphere for the post-run moments. The photo session that followed captured this transition beautifully. Smiling runners and dedicated volunteers posed together as fine droplets shimmered on jackets and hair. The drizzle added character to the photographs — a subtle reminder of the day’s changing skies and the shared experience. Laughter continued despite the rain, and group photos radiated warmth that outshone the grey clouds above. As equipment was packed away and families headed home, there was a collective sense of fulfillment. From the warm, energetic start to the gentle drizzle that closed the morning, the junior parkrun at Woking Leisure Centre was a celebration of community spirit. Thanks to the dedication of volunteers like Adam, Karen, and Ola, it was not just a run — it was a memory made together."

A very wet and even colder morning set the scene for today’s Junior Parkrun. Unsurprisingly, numbers were lower than usual — perhaps helped along by both the weather and the start of half term — but that didn’t dampen the spirit!

Karen and Olalekan were there proudly representing GoodGym, alongside our fantastic team of high-vis heroes. Despite the atrocious conditions, the smiles were plentiful, and we received far more thank-yous than usual from runners and parents alike for braving the elements — which made it all worthwhile.

The younger and slower runners fully embraced the conditions, with puddles proving almost as popular as the finish funnel!

As always, a great time was had by all. Once the last runner crossed the line and everything was packed away, it was a speedy retreat home to warm up and enjoy the rest of a very soggy Sunday

Woking Junior Park Run

On this this wet morning Woking GG members were out on the 1st day of Feb to carry out various volunteering roles at junior park run 🏃‍♂️.

Karen was there early followed by Wayne who had a good catch up hearing all about Karen 4 weeks traveling around India 🇮🇳

Adam arrived and it was great seeing him and making steady progress returning back to full fitness. Alys arrived shortly after in her full GG outfit 😀 and she was looking forward to getting her new kitchen installed this week. James arrived full of energy and laughs and to assist in anything.

The conditions were not the best with puddles and a muddy field to contend with. In total there were 113 young runners who took part this morning with the fastest time an amazing 07:48 👏🏽 there were also 43 PB's great running by everyone 😀

*Xmas Junior Park Run *

This morning 5 GG members turned up at a very festive junior park run 🎄

Wayne arrived early straight from his 8k run wearing his festive hat that was given by Kirsty last year ❤️. The bandstand looked amazing with all sorts of festive decorations. Shortly after Karen arrived wearing her Xmas hat James arrived after with Rich straight from their 11k morning run along the canal they were dressed in festive mud all over their legs 🤣 Melanie then arrived wearing some very festive leggings Alys arrived last with her festive tutu and she also had a spare one which Melanie put on 🎅 All the runners really made an effort today we had running Turkeys to running Santa's everyone looked great 😀

In total we had 140 runners with the fastest time an impressive 07:34 with 56 PB's great running by everyone.

Hope you all have a fantastic Xmas and hope to see you soon ❤

It was definitely a damp park run this morning, although still surprisingly mild for December. The children arrived in true dramatic fashion at the very last minute, at one point it genuinely looked as though the marshals were going to outnumber the runners by a considerable margin. The combination of wet weather and festive commitments also clearly took its toll on attendance.

Wayne, Anne (sadly minus her tutu thanks to the rain), Adam and Karen were out on the course volunteering and managed a quick catch-up about Wednesday’s very enjoyable Christmas meal at Zizzi’s — clearly a highlight of the week!

Despite the drizzle and the soggy course most children bravely completed the two-laps. One can only assume that kids, parents and volunteers then made a swift and determined retreat in search of warmth, dryness and a well-earned hot drink.