Orange parkrun is about more than just exercise

The mums, dads, children, grandparents and singles of all ages have been lining up at the Bloomfield path each week for two years, gearing up for their weekly parkrun.

Their 5km run is shared by thousands of people at over 300 parks in Australia.

Driving the movement – across 20 countries – are volunteers like Anne Visman, who dons the high vis each week to walk the 5 kms and keep the pack moving.

“I meet up with my daughter and catch up with what’s been happening in our family for the week,” she said.

“In the two years I’ve been going I’ve lost weight, my health has improved and it’s made a big difference in my life in that I’m fitter and I’ve met people that I wouldn’t usually meet.”

Brad Simmons was responsible for bringing parkrun to Orange after witnessing the event in South Africa in 2015.

In Durban to complete an ultra marathon, Mr Simmons said he opened the curtains of his hotel window to see 2000 people gathered for their Saturday ritual.

Once he worked out what they were up to, he and run buddy Nella Powell contacted parkrun Australia to figure out how to get it up and running.

“I wanted to see people have access to a free event like this, to create a vibe and build a community in Orange,” he said.

More than 100 Saturdays later Gosling Creek’s biggest run was attended by more than 240 people and an average of 130 show up each week – numbers, understandably, dropping when the frost settles in over the reserve in winter.

Even the event organiser admits it can be tough to get motivated in the colder months, but said the friendships that have come out of showing up each week is what makes it worthwhile.

“It’s less about a sport event and more about creating community,” he said.

“Initially when people started coming some knew each other but not a lot of us, eventually with numbers building and everyone getting to know one another the feeling of community has also built.”

With parkrun Orange celebrating two years with a sausage sizzle on October 27, Mr Simmons said his hope for the future is to continue to provide an all inclusive event where anyone can “turn up, make friends and hopefully get a little bit fitter”.