Primary schools across the UK can now sign up to register as a ‘parkrun primary’ school – a brand-new initiative developed as part of our three-year strategic partnership with junior parkrun.
parkrun primary aims to get school children more active and better connected with their local communities by twinning 500 schools across the country with junior parkrun events. The new initiative comes as less than half of children meet the Chief Medical Officers’ recommended 60 minutes physical activity per day (Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People Survey Report, 2024) and with a recent study by University of Exeter revealing that one fifth of children do not play outside during the weekend. junior parkrun, which takes place every Sunday in 478 locations across the UK, with 107 taking place in areas of high deprivation, gives children a fun and free opportunity to be active outdoors.
parkrun primary, which has been piloted with 17,000 school children over the last 12 months and is backed by the Department of Education, will see schools across the country formally link up with junior parkrun events by first signing up to a five step programme – which involves holding special parkrun primary school assemblies and connecting with their local event – before becoming an official parkrun primary school.
Nick Bitel, CEO of London Marathon Group, said: “Our partnership with junior parkrun has already enabled children across the UK to complete more than one million junior parkruns. With the launch of parkrun primary, we’re thrilled to be opening up a new pathway for primary schools to connect with their local junior parkrun events. This initiative will help even more young people take part – supporting their physical, mental and social wellbeing, and laying the foundations for an active and healthy future.”
The latest junior parkrun health and wellbeing survey conducted with 1,400 families found that 77% of children felt happy after taking part in junior parkrun, with 85% of parents saying that junior parkrun had a positive impact on their children’s sense of personal achievement.
Elizabeth Duggan, Interim CEO of parkrun, said: “By bringing schools together with their local junior parkrun events, parkrun primary will create more opportunities for children to be active, outdoors at the weekend in a free, fun and accessible way.
“But it’s also about connecting children with their local community and giving them the chance to build real human relationships at junior parkrun through running, walking and volunteering that develop their confidence alongside vital social and emotional skills for later life in a world where that is increasingly difficult. We think parkrun primary can make a real difference in creating healthier and happier lives for our children and young people and we’d encourage schools to sign-up and get on board.”
A launch event was recently held at Cricket Green Primary School in Mitcham. The school took part in the pilot programme earlier this year and is now twinned with its local Figges Marsh junior parkrun event in Mitcham, with children, teachers and parents running, walking and volunteering on Sundays.
Celia Dawson, Head Teacher of Cricket Green School, said: "As a school we’ve seen the benefits of being part of the parkrun primary pilot so it’s a proud moment for everyone here to formally launch the programme at Cricket Green School.
“parkrun primary is about getting children more active and connected with others through junior parkrun, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about building confidence, developing social skills and having a sense of belonging within the local community. This can be so life enhancing for the children and whole family.”
Find out more about junior parkrun and how to register for parkrun primary
