With parkrun celebrating 20 years, it feels like a fantastic time to recognise other milestones. It was with much excitement that, in 2024, we started to welcome parkrunners into the 1000 volunteering milestone club. Nicki and Rory are two of the first to get there, showing incredible dedication to parkrun and making such a positive impact on so many people in the process. Here are their stories.
Something exceptional connects Riddlesdown, to the south west of London, and Ipswich in Suffolk. Both places are home to two extraordinary people who have made volunteering at parkrun a big part of their lives. Nicki Clark says she was lucky that one of the first four parkruns to exist – Banstead Woods parkrun – happened to be just a stone’s throw from where she lived. “It was just pure luck, really,” explains Nicki. “If the parkrun hadn’t been there, my whole story with the organisation probably would never have happened.”
Initially, Nicki completed the course. But after a while, problems with her knees meant she looked for a different way to be involved. That is where volunteering came in. “Everyone was ridiculously friendly,” says Nicki, “and I couldn’t believe that the event was free, that locally it was just run by volunteers. So I got chatting to their volunteer coordinator, Kay Benjamin (Kay Quinn as she was). I said, ‘This is great. What can I do to help?’ And I ended up sorting barcodes afterwards.”
Rory’s story is similar. He had set himself the challenge of a 10km race and discovered parkrun as a fun way to run with others as part of his training. This was in 2011 and Rory’s parkrun of choice was in Valentines Park, Ilford. “Before I discovered parkrun,” says Rory, “I had volunteered at an organisation that helped people improve their public speaking. So I knew the importance of volunteering. At my first parkrun at Valentines, I instantly fell in love with it. And as soon as I got home after the event, I sent an email to the team saying that I knew they relied on volunteers and that I wanted to help.”
Both Nicki and Rory felt nervous about taking on this new responsibility. Rory says that he overcame his by learning all the different volunteer roles, so that he knew the basics already – although he is keen to point out that if someone wants to volunteer, they really don’t need to do that! The run director will always ensure people know what is required in each role.
Both Rory and Nicki are now event directors themselves and so they know how important it is to have volunteers – and also how to make sure that anyone volunteering for the first time, or taking on a different role, has all the right support. “The most important thing to realise,” explains Rory, “is that every volunteer role at parkrun is easy to do. Even the more technical roles, like barcode scanning, are straightforward. And there will always be support.”
“When someone volunteers for the first time at any of the events I’m involved in,” says Nicki, “I’ll usually put them on the course as a marshal, near someone else. And with marshalling, it’s basically 45 minutes of screaming your head off. It’s incredibly cathartic. And everyone is pleased to see you.”
With so much experience, both Nicki and Rory have some great memories from parkrun over the years. In Rory’s case, one of his favourite achievements has been starting up Ipswich junior parkrun. He had become the event director for Ipswich’s Saturday event and, after seeing another junior event, was inspired to launch their own to complement the Saturday parkrun. Of course, Rory notes, volunteering at a Saturday and a Sunday parkrun helps to add to the volunteering tally.
Nicki recalls when parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt and his wife Jo – knowing they would not be able to come to the 1,000th celebration – came to Riddlesdown parkrun for Nicki’s 998th time volunteering. “At the end they wrote 998 on my head in mud, because Riddlesdown is famous for being muddy. So there are photographs of me and Paul with 998 written on my head in mud. It was very funny. It just looks ridiculous.”
So with all their knowledge and experience, what would these two parkrunners say to anyone thinking of volunteering? “Know you’re making other people’s lives better,” says Nicki, “and whatever job you do, we’re not going to leave you to it. Turn up early and talk to people and go to coffee afterwards. Because that way, it becomes more than just ticking a box.” Rory agrees: “Just give it a go. There is not a single parkrun event that won’t want you as a volunteer.”
