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Thousands of runners dressed in festive garb and Santa hats got into the Christmas spirit by taking part in parkrun on the island of Ireland. xmas day,
The popular free, timed 5k events, usually held on a Saturday morning and organized by volunteers, saw record-breaking attendance as they cemented their place as a seasonal attraction.
festive edition Parkruns have become particularly sought after, drawing significantly larger crowds than their weekly counterparts.
In east Belfast, Stormont parkrun broke its previous participation record, welcoming over 1,000 runners for the first time. A remarkable 1,152 individuals participated, easily surpassing last year’s record of 790.
The estate echoed with festive music emanating from the loudspeakers, while the enthusiastic crowd cheered the participants.
Race director Marianne Hood said Stormont was fast becoming a favorite destination to visit on Christmas morning.
“I think it’s becoming a tradition now,” he said. “So many people, I think they’re hearing about it, and then they want to come this year to see what it was like because they’ve heard about it from last year.”
He added, “And this is the third year in a row we’re going to set the record. And I think the atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone dresses up and it’s just so crazy. So I think people are hearing more about Stormont parkrun to go in the run up to Christmas Day.”
Hood highlighted the inclusive nature of the program: “The atmosphere is fantastic. It’s so much fun. Nobody cares about their time. Nobody cares that they’re standing in the street waiting to get their token.
“It’s really great for families. Really great for friends and friend groups. Everyone’s there taking selfies, everyone’s taking pictures of each other. It’s fantastic. The atmosphere is like a classroom.”
Irish former Olympic rower Eugene Coakley was among those crossing the finish line.
He commented, “Christmas morning and I believe 1,000 people are here – you couldn’t want to be anywhere better than parkrun in Stormont Park, it’s fantastic.” “We’ve been opening presents all morning, but it’s great to get outside and get some fresh air and run around the park.”
Meanwhile, at Lisburn’s Wallace Park, 713 runners completed the course, breaking their previous Christmas Day attendance record by almost 100 participants.
Run director Jonathan Davies spoke about the strong sense of community that parkrun fosters, which is particularly resonant during the festive period.
“Last year we had 624 runners. They were in line to finish this year, which has never happened before, so today we’re well above that,” Mr Davis said.
“It’s such a great community event. If people didn’t want to come they wouldn’t come here, especially on Christmas morning. It brings people together in a way that very few other things can and I think it’s something we should cherish.”
“We’ve been going here to Wallace Park since 2013. We’re doing something right, we’re very lucky to have an incredible team of volunteers who come here every week.”