Welcome to GoodGym's Jacob for your first session in Manchester!

This evening we met up outside Whitworth Art Gallery too drop off food donations and do a litterpick for 422 Community Hub. After a short loop of Whitworth Park, Jacob got to experience the Whitworth Lidl, full to the brim with students living nearby.

With donations bagged, we took a brisk walk towards Longsight and we managed to drop the donations in various bags to the reception, with only a few oats lost in transition.

While the rain stayed away, we used the Clean Up UK litterpickers with Keep MCR Tidy pink bags to scour the nearby streets for any litter we could find to give it a bit of an autumnal clean. We filled 3 sacks and found a few toothbrushes, a box, and a broken mop bucket along with the regular cans and bottles.

We ran home in our respective directions, with a few fireworks from local parks as a backdrop. All bags have been reported to Keep MCR Tidy and best of luck to Gloria in the Frankfurt marathon this weekend!

With both Man United women's and men's teams playing (and so far winning) I was called on to help out Mrs M with keeping on top of the overgrown garden.

Lots of weeds, moss, bindweed, nettles, and brambles were ripped out, by the root if possible, with only a few minor scratches and stings.

Meanwhile, the grass got a thorough mowing to help it looking ship shape. Tough but productive mission, particularly following the pond session in Stockport.

A solo litterpick for Ben on his 808th GoodGym task.

After a run from Longsight with litterpickers, bags, and gloves, the location for the litterpick was Hulme, with a regular litter grot-spot the target.

Amongst the growing towers of flats, lots of takeaway waste, plastic and glass bottles, coffee cups, cans, and bits of clothing were collected and bagged up in the pink Keep MCR Tidy bags.

An astounding 14 refuse sacks of rubbish was picked up in just over an hour with a ridiculous 41 laughing gas canisters also bagged up separately and rounded up.

All bags were reported to the council for collection, and hoping the area stays a little tidier now 🙏

Event 318

🍂 Autumn has certainly arrived, with a bit more rain, wind, puddles, and mud at Fletcher Moss this morning. Well done to all 450 participants for joining us this morning, with 108 people visiting for the first time including 13 completing their first ever parkrun! 👏🌳

Congrats to Rachel and Emma completing their 25th parkrun, Bernadette on your 50th, and Hanhua on reaching your 100 volunteer milestone! 💪 Happy 50th birthday to Dave Thomas too 🎂

🦺 Huge thank you to the 24 volunteers who enabled the event to go ahead, especially those doing roles for the first time 👏

Super task this evening for a magnificent seven GoodGymers in Withington!

🧱 We joined Ed from Withington Walls to give a couple of spaces a thorough clearing in preparation for some upcoming street art pieces.

Robert and Sanjeev start on a wall in the co-op car park, removing the weeds before slapping on a lot of masonry paint as a base layer, Sanjeev opting for the overalls for added protection.

Meanwhile, Jodie put her climbing skills to the test to cover up some street tags high up, and went along with Peter to cover a wall near the Red Lion. Julia filled in some spots near the opticians in Withington, while a team effort of Fanette, Ben, and Peter cleared a lot of brambles and shrubbery from a larger wall before covering it with masonry paint 🎨

We got a lot more covered than expected, covering two large walls plus some smaller, fill-in side quests too. Thankful for head torches and bike lights 🔦🕯 to provide some light, although may need to invest in some portable floodlights in future.

After applying the finishing touches, we cleared up and look forward to seeing what will become of the walls!

After late notice communication from the race organisers, 4 GoodGymers helped out at the start area for the 2026 MCR Half.

Welcome to Noor for coming along to your first GoodGym session!

With blue hi-vis, packed lunch and all important lanyard, we eventually congregated at the start area (4A) to direct runners to the start line and clear the way as wave after wave of runners approached.

With 16 waves, we were as vocal as possible to stop spectators from encroaching onto the route, while also keeping runners in different coloured waves informed when their wave was next up. Keeping the toilet queues compressed to keep the route clear was also required at times.

Towards the end, we began to help gather clothing and jumpers that runners had discarded before the start line, keeping Julia warm in the fresh October morning sunshine. After a final clearing of signage and a gazebo at the start line, we were released to drop off our hi-vis and make our way home.