What a glorious morning it was at London Fields junior parkrun this Sunday! With clear skies and warm sunshine, it couldn’t have been a better setting for our weekly 2k event – and the atmosphere matched the weather.

We were thrilled to welcome seven first-time runners to our community this week – a big well done to each of them for taking on the course! We hope they had a great time and we look forward to seeing them again soon. With nearly 50 juniors taking part overall, the field was alive with energy, determination, and plenty of high-fives.

The event got off to a smooth and spirited start thanks to @sooz, who led a lively warm-up and delivered the pre-run briefing with her usual cheer and clarity. She was also a key presence at the finish line, helping to make sure everyone had their barcodes scanned and finish tokens returned – an essential part of keeping the event running smoothly.

As always, the enthusiasm of our runners stood out, with big efforts, big smiles, and big finishes across the board. It’s especially heartening to see how the support from parents and carers continues to grow. The cheers around the course and at the finish line make a real difference to the runners – thank you for being such a positive part of the experience.

Of course, none of this would be possible without our amazing team of volunteers. Whether Good Gym regulars, or those becoming regulars, volunteer contributions invaluable. A special shout-out goes to Lynne and Kevin, who made their monthly journey down from Manchester and included volunteering with us here in the capital – it’s always such a pleasure to have visitors join us! As we head into the new school year and the autumn term, we are excited to keep the momentum going. If any Good Gymmers like you or someone you know would like to volunteer – even just once in a while – we would love to hear from you. No experience is needed, just a willingness to help and a smile! Thanks again to everyone who joined us today – runners, supporters, and volunteers alike. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and we’ll see you next Sunday for another fantastic junior parkrun.

As I walked across the Fields this morning to get to the big tree, I spotted Sarah (of Sarah's tree fame) already in place and the course cones and poles already neatly set out around the whole course, and, slightly panicked, had to double check the time to make sure I wasn't late...Run Director Rue clearly does like to run a very punctual ship.

As today's runners approached from all directions, it was also clear that today was going to be one of those lucky days when we seemingly had no problem filling the other volunteer positions, and so alongside GG high viz regulars Rue, Sooz, Sarah and Nick, 10 others kindly stepped up to help and so ensure that today's 28 highly enthusiastic runners (and their coaches) safely sped around the course without any problems - 3 first timers joined us today (and will hopefully be back for more), and with 5 PBs it proved to be another successful morning for all involved.

Same time, same place next week then.