15/09/2026
Redway Runners at parkrun 12 September 2026
This week 464 Redway Runners were out and about at 96 different venues compared with 473 at 105 venues last week. We had runners in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as well as further afield in Gibraltar, Italy, Poland, Japan, Canada, USA and three venues in Australia
This week’s furthest compass points in the UK were all quite unusual ones this week!! Jesmond Dene and Town Moor to the north, Bournemouth to the south, Enniskillen to the west, and Bury St Edmunds to the east. We added two new venues to our list of events attended since the restart of parkrun in July 2021. These were Oakey Park in England and Unoki in Japan. As no new parkruns started in the UK this week and one was ticked off, we are now down to only 8 left to do in the UK, none of which are in England! The first time ever we have ‘completed England’.
The updated list of UK events not done is in Redway Runners parkrun tourists on Facebook. If you would like to join make sure you answer the membership questions, otherwise you will be declined! HTTPS://www.Facebook.com/groups/784185693028959
There were a couple official milestones this week. Congratulations to Karen Cobbett running her 50th parkrun at Linford Wood and to Kathryn Dunham earning her 100th volunteer credit at Bury Field
Don’t forget to let me know if you celebrate a milestone outside Milton Keynes or achieve a volunteering milestone so that they can be included too!
Thank you for all your comments and photos which include –
• Redway Runners marked a celebration run in memory of much-loved club member Maurice O'Connell, who passed away recently while out on one of his regular Sunday runs. The outpouring of support from across the club and the wider running community had been heartwarming, and following a small family funeral the day before, Maurice's family joined the celebration of his life at Bury Field, including relatives visiting from Ireland and Uruguay. A 1km route was set up for his grandchildren, while other family members joined the full run. Rest in peace, Maurice - you will be sorely missed by everyone at Redway Runners.
• Steve Rose gathered for a pre-event course check at Bury Field with Michelle George-Barnes, Simon Kington, Michaela Boobier, Abi Gooch, David Rose, Paul Macloskey, Marine Turner, Alexa, Wendy and Albert, all remembering their good friend Maurice.
• Mary Morris stayed local at Banbury with Steve Morris, though she forgot to take a photo this week.
• Gary Howard and Maria Gray also made the trip to Bury Field to pay their respects to Maurice.
• Sue Sharp took on the Buckingham alternate route.
• Jim Eastment surprised himself by actually lacing up for a run, calling the Bury Field gathering for Maurice a very special and moving occasion.
• Michael Atkins returned to Linford Wood after a long break and marked the occasion with a first in his age category.
• Karen Lawrence ran the shakeout 5k in Moldova with Martin, Leigh, Nigel and Juliet, as there's no parkrun there.
• Katherine Johnson enjoyed a lovely chatty run with Fiona Copeland at Milton Keynes.
• Stephen Dunham fitted in a visit to Roosevelt Island DC before flying home - lovely course, location and people, and the person giving the first-timers briefing has relatives in Bletchley! Such a small world!
• Lorayne Macfarlane went parkwalking at the gorgeous Wimpole Estate and is already planning a return visit next spring to do the summer course.
• Helen and Len Vaughan headed to Black Rocks in the Peak District for an amazing backdrop.
• Carol Downs visited Thorney Bay Beach at Canvey Island and came away with a first in her age category.
• Liz May tackled three hilly laps with Sean at the Gibraltar Botanical Gardens – a lovely, friendly event.
• Sue Thomas found a beautiful woodland course in the New Forest at Brockenhurst, officially described as "undulating" but which she'd call "mountainous."
• Caroline Mackenzie was with the "flying spiders" at Watermeadows and Honey Louise, who also picked up a PB.
• Andrew Muncie joined Darren and Julie Carr at University Parks, with Julie completing her 100th different venue.
• Susan Rickson chose Swaffham this week.
• William Shippin finished third at Oakey Park in 19:29, just shy of his target Great North Run pace, not only ticking off another venue for the club, but completing all of England for Redway Runners – for now!!
• Nicola Kay took a big wedge off her personal best at Millennium Country, edging closer to her sub 25 target and crediting the summer's interval sessions and social runs.
• Sheila McBrearty and Mel Beels ran Pymmes with Simon en route to support Judith Cumino's swim at the Royal Docks.
• Chris Jeanes headed to Bury Field for Maurice, obviously.
• Laurel Wright ran her fastest time in a while at Stanborough, not bad going on post-marathon legs.
• Rosalind Crawley was Run Director at Bury Field for Maurice's memorial run, with 269 taking part, the club's biggest turnout ever, and congratulated every Redway Runner who made it along.
• Thomas Blann saluted the runners at Northala Fields with Kerena Smith, Rowan and Faye.
• Eoin Tweeddale was at Bury Field, running in memory of "the legend" Maurice O'Connell.
• Elizabeth Tribe ran at Vale Park, Burslem, remembering Maurice as she couldn't make Bury Field herself.
• Victoria Moody was out at Milton Keynes in her new running leggings printed with "Saturday 9.00."
• Carol Collins and Andy Collins visited Bittesby Country Park for a beautiful run around a small lake.
• Angela Mulligan reported that Martyn Douglas finished in first place at Zamek w Malborku in Poland.
• Mandy Cristoe-small and Daniel Small picked up a "V" for their alphabet challenge at Victoria Embankment.
• Julie Martin ran Bury Field in memory of the lovely Maurice O'Connell.
• Julie Sparrow stayed close to home in Buckingham and knocked 30 seconds off her personal best.
• Dianne Garley and Ian Kelly ran Aberbeeg, an out-and-back along an old railway line, while in Wales for their granddaughter's birthday.
• Sheila Squire fitted in a quick run at Pocket on the way to the Great North Run.
• Mark Cameron paid another visit to Riverside ahead of the Great North Run.
• Karen Amsbury added another Welsh venue to her trip at Haverfordwest.
• Matthew Cleary volunteered at Bury Field, pushing his 250th run back to next Saturday.
• Adam Jones returned to Milton Keynes for the first time since June, missed the zig zags, and got a personal best.
• Keith Curwood celebrated his 100th run at Linford Wood, taking his overall tally to 360.
• Martin Oliver enjoyed a cooler morning at Linford Wood for his 263rd run.
• Nikki Torrie squeezed in an unofficial beach run in Tunisia.
• Emma Green picked up a personal best at Milton Keynes.
• Michael Boyle ran a lovely two-lap trail course at Central Burnaby, our furthest west venue this week.
• Lorraine Devereux, having put off Bury Field for a long time, finally made it along and called it a beautiful run for Maurice.
• Juliet Thompson, with no event available in Moldova, did the Chisinau 5k shakeout instead, getting briefly left behind and lost before retracing the route back to the start with a local lady.
• Simon Navin came out of what he called running retirement to attend Bury Field in honour of Maurice, delighted to see so many old friends and faces, and hinting he might not leave it so long next time.
• Douglas Sellers helped with barcode scanning and watched the results processing at Milton Keynes, sidelined from running by an injured knee.
Photos of the week go to the ones taken at the celebration parkrun in memory of Maurice O’Connell.
Keep sending in anything you would like included to [email protected] or comment on the “How did you get on at parkrun?” post on Saturday morning
(Sue)
