Shrewsbury primary school pupils lead the way in Junior Parkrun 'takeover'
Pupils at a Shrewsbury primary school became the first to "take over" a new junior parkrun initiative in the county town.
Last Sunday (October 19), Trinity CofE Primary School became the first school in Shropshire to 'take over' the Shrewsbury Junior Parkrun in The Quarry.
The event was part of the Department for Education's new initiative 'parkrun primary' which aims to get schoolchildren more active and better connected to their local communities by twinning 500 schools across the country with junior parkrun events.
The idea was introduced to pupils and staff at Trinity two weeks before the event by Sam Ostermeyer, Active Schools Manager for Energize - who work to improve physical activity opportunities for young people in Shropshire. Sam is also a Junior Parkrun volunteer.
Pupils were encouraged to attend the "takeover" event with their families, while staff and parents volunteered to help run the event in roles such as warm-up leaders, marshals, tail walkers, and barcode scanners.
After an energetic warm-up to the tune of Golden, the runners were raring to go. A total of 248 young athletes - many accompanied by their parents/carers - completed the two kilometre course, and crossed the finish line with determination and smiles.
More than 70 pupils and 20 staff and parent volunteers from Trinity CofE Primary School took part, contributing to the fourth-highest attendance for Shrewsbury Junior Parkrun - and making it the second largest Junior Parkrun event in the world last weekend.
Headteacher of Trinity CofE Primary School, Mr Jack Pittaway said: "It was a fantastic event! It was great to see so many of our children and families come together and enjoy themselves in a fun and active way outside of school.
"The school is dedicated in promoting healthy lifestyles and the Junior Parkrun is a great way to encourage children and their families to be active at the weekend and connect with their local community in a unique way.
"I would encourage all headteachers and schools across Shropshire to promote their local Junior Parkrun and arrange a 'takeover' event. You never know, Shrewsbury Junior Parkrun could become the biggest in the world one weekend!"
Junior Parkrun takes place each Sunday at 9am in The Quarry, Shrewsbury and is open to four-to-15-year-olds.
