It was held in the town’s public gardens for the first time on Saturday morning with nearly 180 runners taking part alongside 19 volunteers.
Alice Perry co-directed the event, alongside Scott Eliffe, and she said the first event was a “soft launch”, which they did not promote very much, so as not to get overwhelmed with participants.
“If you told me we’d have 178 runners last week I would’ve been panicking but everything went smoothly.
“It was great to see so many people there.
“Now that we’re able to publicise it a a bit more it’ll be really exciting to see how many people from the Waitaki get to come along and enjoy it.”
More than 60 runners completed their first ever parkrun.
“It just shows how much Oamaru has been dying for one.”
Parkrun is a free, timed 5km running event held all over the world.
Runners sign up online and receive a barcode which they scan at each parkrun they complete.
The website offers statistics and times as well as milestones for each runner.
Miss Perry had been working to host a parkrun in Oamaru since 2023 and she said it took a long time to make sure it was as accessible as possible.
“We wanted a really inclusive course that allowed for everyone to participate rather than it not being wheelchair friendly or not being friendly for buggies or something like that.
“It didn’t matter who you were or what your ability was, [Parkrun] was something that everyone could participate in.”
A runner herself, Miss Perry thought there was a need for a community running event.
“I was travelling to Waimate to run with the run club there so to find that sense of community, I think that’s what people like.”
There were also opportunities to get involved without being a runner.
“If the body doesn’t let you run or walk and you just want something to be a part of, then parkrun is a great thing.
“Cheering on runners or walkers or being a marshal or having a job or taking photos; parkrun offers a lot of opportunities to be involved even without doing the 5km.”
The Oamaru Public Gardens parkrun will be held every Saturday morning at 9am.
