Valentines day fell on a Saturday... so a few extra numbers were to be expected at Valentines Parkrun. Not sure anyone could have predicted this volume though...

After a surprise surge last year, with numbers doubling the usual attendance, the main crew planned well to be able to cope with things this year. So well organised, no need for more people to sign up for volunteering, including Goodgym crew.

Ofcourse Ed is the exception to that, since he is very much part of the core parkrun volunteers - he took up his usual position marshaling the main car park. Linda joined Ed to give him a hand while I joined another regular, Liz, at the 2nd car park.

James, Julia & Jenny braved the crowds and ran, while Sharon took her time walking round and taking selfies with people (you might recognise a famous face in some pics...)

A few of the pictures give a hint of how busy it was, even early on - the queue to pose with the parkrun sign was significant at 8.30... not sure I'd want to know the toilet queues at any point! Guess the main indicator how extremely busy it became was when there was a 1/4 mile queue for the tokens and thus finish line... just about everyone was happily chatting & socialising making their way to the end though

So.... in case you were wondering, number... Normal attendance at Valentines is about 350-450, today at event #715 the finishers seem to total.... 2331

Huge admiration and compliments to the Parkrun crew for sorting it all out

With the weather being pretty decent, about 450 people popped down to Valentines Park for their parkrun fix.

Ed did his usual at the car park entrance. Linda was released from her usual guiding duties and enjoyed a run instead. James ran, joined Ed for a while and helped clearing up the funnel. Barcode scanning for me.

In 2 weeks time the busy 450 will seem like nothing - Valentines day falls on a Saturday...

The apricity of the day was not lost on us when 8 of us got together at Valentines Parkrun. Four of us volunteered, Sharon at the Boathouse, where the 2nd lappers and finishers need to go in different directions, Ed was in his usual carpark spot and Linda was VI supporter. The volunteer roster was surprisingly full so AJ chose to flit between Ed and Sharons posts, when they got busy, the others chose to run instead.

As AJ is not often in the country we then moved on for a sociable coffee and catch up at the local spoons.

Lovely having everyone together, looking forward to the next one.

Three of us assisted at Valentines Parkrun today. James was on scanning, Linda VI walker and Ed on Car Park duty.

Valentines is busier now due to Alphabeteers collecting their Vs now Victoria Dock has closed due to lack of vounteers. This illustrates the need for people to volunteer if we are to keep our parkruns going.

Linda assisted a visually and physically impaired person round Valentines parkrun course. Usually his guide dog assists him well enough but he likes to take the dog off the harness to give them occasional off duty time so Linda took over the dog's lead, the guide duties and the picking up the nasties 🙄 Meanwhile Ed did a sterling job of directing traffic coming in and out of the carpark across the route and cheering on the park runners.

Some of the usual suspects braved the chilly weather and made their way down to Valentines Park to assist run director Wendy in making sure parkrun went ahead safely.

• Ed was at his usual spot guarding the main car park entrance
• Kathryn kept track and timed all the finishers
• Peter assisted at the 2nd car park by forming a human bollard guarding a spot of ice right where the parkrunners would turn the corner.

P.S. hope you feel better soon James P.P.S that skyin looked pretty chilly as well Julia