Bronte Nautical parkrun

Nov 5, 2019Fitness, Hobby, News0 comments

Bronte’s Own “nautical parkrun” Every Saturday 9am

Even if you’re not a runner, you are always welcome to walk, jog and volunteer

Roderick Schuller’s dream of bringing parkrun to Bronte has materialized! On June 15, Nautical Parkrun officially starts. The event takes place every Saturday at Nautical Park, located just south east of Rebecca and Great Lakes Blvd. The park is a beautiful pristine area where wildlife, including deer and herons abound.
For those who haven’t heard the term before, parkrun is a regular weekly timed 5K run that is always free of charge, welcoming, inclusive, and only as competitive as you wish it to be (which may be not competitive at all).
If you’re a runner who isn’t part of a running club that you love and are committed to, or even if you are, but you also like the idea of a regular weekly run with a friendly, welcoming community that doesn’t care how fast you are, parkrun may be for you. Even if you’re not a runner, you are always welcome to walk, jog and volunteer. parkrun has become a global movement, spreading its message of fresh air, exercise, inclusivity, acceptance, and community to 23 countries, including Canada (in 2016). More than 2.8 million people have participated at over 200,000 events around the world, with 3.2 million runs held in more than 1,400 locations.

Patients to be ‘prescribed’ parkrun as alternative to medication

According to an article in ITV.com, health leaders in the UK are encouraging patients to take part in their local parkrun as part of an initiative to see patients “prescribed” outdoor physical activity instead of medication. The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Royal College of General Practitioners, builds on research conducted by parkrun UK in 2017 which revealed that hundreds of healthcare practitioners are already recommending the wide-ranging benefits of active lifestyles to health and well-being to their patients.
And so they should. It is known that depression is a vicious cycle. It causes inaction which leads to more depression which leads to more inaction… By getting out and exercising, not only are you taking action but you are also enjoying nature, fresh air and community, three more factors that are scientifically proven to get you out of your funk quickly.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: “Small, often simple, lifestyle changes can have a really positive impact on our health and well-being, so anything that encourages patients to live better and move more is a good thing. “parkrun is a diverse, fun and free way of getting our patients up and moving about, and empowering them to make basic lifestyle changes in the best interests of their long-term health and well-being.”
Nautical parkrun is not the only parkrun that Roderick has helped to create. He has already been successful (along with the River Oaks parkrun team) in helping to bring parkrun to Oakville at the River Oaks Community Centre. Thanks also to Roderick and the River Oaks parkrun team’s presentations to the city, Oakville is now so keen on how parkrun fits in with its vision of being the country’s most livible city, that it will consider even more parkruns in future, possibly as much as much as one to every ward.
If you to wish to help volunteer, or a student family member needs volunteer hours, do not hesitate to contact Nautical parkrun at nauticalhelpers@parkrun.com
Whether volunteering or participating in the walk or run, it is important that your obtain your free printed barcode. Follow the instructions on the main page at www.parkrun.ca/nautical/