Parkrun Month 2026 report by Kate Welsby
In Why Running Matters: Lessons in Life, Pain, and Exhilaration, Ian Mortimer writes that running is one of the oldest and most human things we do – a thread connecting us to generations past (he’s a historian, in case you couldn’t tell).
Looking at January’s Eynsham Roadrunners parkrun results, from the sub-18 front runners to those celebrating steadier progress further back, it’s clear that what matters isn’t just pace but also participation. It’s brilliant to see that 62 members – over a third of our membership – took part in the inaugural Club Championships event of 2026: any parkrun (5K). Of those, a handful of runners ran a very impressive sub-21 minutes; the largest participation band was 23-35 minute finishers; and there was a smaller but equally important group of 35+ minute finishers. Ten of us got the full set of 6 runs in January (New Years Day plus five Saturdays). But what does the data so carefully collated by Graham tell us about our club? I asked ChatGPT, which offered up the following:
- Strong competitive front end
- Excellent female strength at 20-21 minutes
- Large, healthy mid-pack
- Good consistency from core members
- Several significant improvers
- Good inclusive participation range
In short: a healthy, engaged, performance-progressing club. I couldn’t agree more. In a world that often pulls us apart, 5km on a Saturday morning quietly brings us together.
