Early start and joined Southall Park run volunteers as they were short of volunteers. I agreed to be Event Day course check and marshal too. On arrival, Bik said that a 2 year old was messing around with some of the cones, so I started going around the course and when i reached the magical round about, I noticed that the cones were out of control, so put them back to their spot. No child was in view, so carried on around the course. Noe of the other cones misbehaved, but some of the park visitors did leave litter for us to clear of the course. We cleared the rubbish in no time. I was then assigned as marshal at position 1 which is at the end of the straight line after the start. I was to turn the sign around once all have gone past it. But then asked if I could start and double up with another lady at point 2 as several individuals around there drinking. My task was to be there with her and once the runners have passed and the individuals have moved to go to point 1 and change the sign with the arrows to turn instead of going straight. So I held 3 positions today. We had 2 quick runners under 18 minutes!!!Total of 101 runners/walkers and 21 wonderful volunteers

Saturday morning at 9am is Parkrun, but it is also Ealing Climate week. 4 Goodgymers made their way to Parkrun but their usual attire but also their bags loaded with secret stuff which you will find out soon. This week is was Southall Park run number 184 and 112 received a barcode at the end of the 5km. The 1st runner came in at 18min13!!! Great atmosphere and Goodgym Ealing joined forces to make this atmosphere. Harveyran 5km and then was helping at the bar code scanning. Kash was also on barcode scanning today. Sevan had the delicate role of timekeeping. While Steph Ducat was on the course marshalling at point 2 which has 2 areas to look at as loop around the park. Steph Ducat was joined by some new undercover Goodgymers ....the squirrels!! Secret squirrels doing good. They bribed to get some food from Steph Ducat, but were only to stay and cheer at his corner which they did...in fact just stood there and played!! After the last person finished the team regrouped and jogged with their secret items to the wonderful Open Southall with other parkrunners, volunteers and We Run Ealing. The Squirrels decided not to come and stayed in the park. The secret items are not the squirrels but old or unwanted running kit as part of Ealing Climate Week.

And boy did it rain. Three GoodGym stalwarts took to the verges and walkways to help out 58 runners and walkers in Southall Park this morning - a committed, yet damp, performance, some might say. And this was a special Parkrun for the more geek-minded of us out there - the 61st at Southall, a gran ole prime number. Tick that one off the challenge list, if you will.

Oh, did I mention it rained? Notwithstanding the technical difficulties this caused - high-viz jackets weighing down our marshal, wet smart screen phones playing havoc with bar code scanning - we refused to stand down until the 58th person had crossed the line. Then, and only then, did we go for coffee - a necessary Parkrun tradition to warm up again afterwards.

A lone runner headed to Southall Parkrun and a warm welcome from the team and runners. This is a lovely community Parkrun with runners of all kinds. Harvey ran and then scanned barcodes. And what's more, it didn't rain - hurray!