Faces of Brighton and Hove parkrun as residents mark 20th anniversary

From 13 runners and five volunteers, parkrun has grown to a global community of more than ten million people, in 23 countries, at more than 2,500 locations. 

Of the 420 UK parkruns, 22 are held across Sussex, with an additional 13 junior parkruns held on Sundays.

One dedicated regular is lifelong Brighton resident, Terry Avey, who will be completing his 510th on Saturday. The lifelong runner attended his first ever parkrun at Preston Park in 2013, the same year he achieved his swift parkrun personal best (PB): 19 minutes 51 at Hove.

At 73, Terry still runs every Saturday and his PB this year is 24 minutes 18.

He said: “It’s never a race, it’s a run but you run it against yourself. If you get a PB, it’s a personal achievement – it’s not about beating anyone. When you’ve done the run, you socialise, have a cup of coffee and meet people. When you get home you have a shower and you feel good. It fills your day.

“I know it’s far-fetched but I’m very positive and I’d love to reach 1000. It’s about each small step.”

Terry recently celebrated a major parkrun milestone (Image: Supplied) Nancy Platts, former Brighton and Hove City Council leader, is an event ambassador who has been involved with parkrun since 2015.

She completed her first parkrun at the first-ever Hove Promenade parkrun which has swelled from around 150 to 750 runners. Nancy was responsible for setting up the East Brighton event and now looks after four different parkruns.

She said: “We’re out there in all weathers, it can be exhilarating to be out on the seafront when it’s stormy.

“One of the things I like most is the inclusivity, it’s always welcoming. I’ve made friends for life. It’s a really good anchor and it’s free – all you need is a pair of leggings, trainers and a t-shirt.”

Nancy set up the East Brighton parkrun and now manages four events (Image: Supplied) Event director at Hove Promenade, Suzy Hawker first started marshalling at parkrun when her teenage son volunteered as part of his Duke of Edinburgh award.

She said: “It’s a really positive environment. Parkrun is for all – it’s for the walkers, dog walkers, visually impaired groups and wheelchair users.”

As a visually impaired runner, Paul Gillett, 68, says the team “superb in supporting us and enabling us to run confidently”. Paul, who runs with a guide, has completed 171 parkruns, largely at Hove Promenade.

Paul, who is visually impaired, runs with a guide (Image: Supplied) He said: “It’s a tremendous community with lovely people. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you run; people are so encouraging.

"I was 61 when I started and though I’ve always been active, I’d not really run since school.

"You’re never too old to start.”