In the toughest of years for everyone with this pandemic continuing into its second year it was great to rely on both running/walking for maintaining good physical & mental health for me throughout this past year!

Virtual challenges

So, the mainstay for me this year was completing two virtual challenges set by the website End to End.

First up was finishing off the 874 miles Lands End to John O’ Groats that I started on 18^th August 2020 and the final 5k was run as a freedom parkrun at my beloved on event of Luton, Wardown on 10th June 2021.

Accompanied by my good friend Martin Ball we even had chance to have a game of crazy golf afterwards to finish off a lovely morning!

Straight away after completing his challenge I went headfirst into signing up for the South West Coast Path one that entailed a 630 mile route with this challenge completed on the 11th December just before Christmas!

Finally on virtual challenges front I have finished the year signed up for the much shorter famous 271 miles Trafalgar Way between Falmouth & London that I hope to finish by the spring of next year!

parkrun

One of the main highlights for me this year was the start-up of parkrun UK again after a long layoff due to the pandemic!

For me it has been a slow return to do the thing I love the most namely parkrun. It was great to cheer people on volunteering as a marshal and at Houghton Hall Juniors always fun being a tail walker, I even managed to run at an event at home!

A real pleasure of mine is meeting up with good parkrun tourist friends again in Christine Imbert and parkrun legend John Butcher (below right picture wearing grey running top) 90 years young on 2 separate occasions at Luton!

Finally on parkrun I would like to congratulate all my friends who have broken milestones and run PB’s throughout this shortened year!!!!

Love Luton 10km

In October on one of the bleakest wettest of autumn mornings with the clocks going back I run in the 10km race (also has a half marathon option) of the annual Love Luton event.

I know it is hard to beleave but it was such great fun running in the rain, people coming out of their houses to cheer us all along and it made me proud to be a Lutonian!

Conclusion

So, for me it’s been a very cautious year continuing running through this pandemic, but I do intend to do parkrun touring again in 2022 and who knows I could be writing a blog report about your home parkrun event.

And until then I wish you all a happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you all in some form in 2022 🙂

Stay Safe

Mark aka Silent Runner