On a hot, sunny morning*, I made my way to Bexley parkrun meeting point, but it became clear that my knees were not going to carry me 5k.

Next best thing - offer my services as a volunteer! My offer being duly accepted, I was posted to “Joe’s Corner “.

For those of you familiar with Bexley parkrun, Joe is known for being a stalwart of the event. He’s also famous for providing Jelly Babies as participants near the finishing line.

So imagine the disappointment as runners exited the woods and awaiting them was a marshal devoid of all sugary pick-me-ups!

My role was best described by one of the runners, “You’re doing a good job, but where are the Jelly Babies?”.

It's back to Run Director duties next Saturday for me, but lesson learned for future marshaling occasions!

*The photo is an old one, on a rather colder, wetter day!

Today’s Bexley parkrun was #666 but there was more good than evil, as the sun shone for a change over Danson Park. As Run Director I’m pleased to report another successful parkrun and trust all runners, walkers and volunteers had an enjoyable meeting.

Every week parkrun relies on volunteers to make it happen. There's always a wonderful community spirit and you don't need to be a runner to get involved. If you're wondering what all the hype is about, sign up to give it a go and see for yourself!

This was Seyi's parkrun and GoodGym debut. "It was a lovely experience. The volunteers were friendly and very accommodating."

Welcome to the GG team, Seyi! We hope this was the first of many good deeds with us.

By contrast, Manish has a growing tally of parkrun volunteering credits, and is notching up his GoodGym total too.

parkrkrun is such a wonderful event to be part of. Give it a go if you haven't tried it yet!

An opportunity arose to add to my various volunteer roles at Bexley parkrun, by donning the pale blue hi-viz vest as a parkwalker. My knees have been playing up so a 5k walk around Danson Park was just the ticket.

parkwalking has for some time been promoted by parkrun HQ, so it was nice to join up with some other walkers, one recovering from an achilles injury and two ladies, relatively new to parkrun, who were enjoying their Saturday morning stroll 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️.

The walk completed, I made my way to Chestnuts to join other volunteers for a coffee ☕️.

It was a classic late-November morning at Danson Park—cool, grey, and squishy underfoot—but the atmosphere was anything but muted.

This week, I had the privilege of seeing the entire event unfold from the finish funnel, volunteering as both Finish Token distributor and Report Writer.

Handing out those tokens is truly the best view: seeing the sheer effort, the final sprint, and the massive relief on everyone's faces is absolutely infectious.

The core of parkrun shines brightest on these chilly days. It was fantastic to see so many determined runners and walkers, and we also want to give a huge nod to our community partners who joined us, supporting the important White Ribbon initiative.

Thank you to all the runners, and especially to every single high-vis hero! It's an honour to write about the spirit you create every week.

What a truly wonderful morning at Danson Park! The November skies were thick and grey, but the atmosphere on the ground was golden thanks to our dedicated high-vis team.

From the perspective of the report writer, it was a pure privilege to witness the magic of volunteering firsthand. The cheering, the organisation, and the simple act of showing up turned a damp, quiet morning into a massive, warm celebration of community.

Volunteering is truly the best reward; seeing the genuine appreciation from every runner, jogger, and walker as they pass is infectious. It’s a powerful reminder that donating an hour of your Saturday results in endless connection and positive energy.

If you're looking for a rewarding way to start your weekend, please consider giving it a go—we wouldn't trade this view for anything!