FOUNDER OF PARKRUN SIGNS COPIES OF HIS BOOK IN TEDDINGTON
Paul Sinton-Hewitt, the founder of the parkrun – which started in Bushy Park 21 years ago – will be signing copies of his new book at Waterstones in High street, Teddington at 11am on Saturday.
Paul, now aged 65 , will join over 1000 other fun runners in Bushy Park on Saturday morning for the famous 5k parkrun, before the signing session to mark publication of ‘One Small Step.’
The publishers say of the book: “This is the story of a simple idea that turned into a global movement.
“This is the story of parkrun, told for the very first time from the man who started it all.
”Growing up in the brutal care system of South Africa, Paul Sinton-Hewitt had a lonely, difficult childhood.
“Yet he found solace in running – a simple pleasure that taught him resilience and offered a young boy a sense of self-worth.“With dogged determination, Paul built a stable family life for himself and eventually settled in the UK.
“But by 2004 he was struggling to hold it all together. He’d lost the successful career he’d worked so hard for, his marriage had broken down, and now a devastating injury threatened to cut him off from the running club which had been a lifeline.
“In search of connection and purpose, Paul came up with a simple idea. He would start a weekly time trial run every Saturday morning in his local park.
“There would be no winners or losers, it would always be free and Paul would be there every week – even on Christmas Day – whether or not anyone else came.
“Little did he know that from just thirteen runners on that first Saturday, parkrun would grow into a 10 million strong community across five continents.
“Twenty years on parkrun continues to grow, bringing together people from all walks of life in search of health, happiness and community.
“Filled with hope and optimism, One Small Step is a powerful affirmation of how coming together in simple ways can change our own lives and might even change the world.”
The parkrun had become a global phenomenon with more than 2000 locations in 23 countries and attracting top athletes in Bushy Park like Olympic champion Mo Farah and last year’s Olympic medallist Georgia Bell.
Paul, who was awarded a CBE ‘for services to Grassroots Sport Participation’ in the 2014 Birthday Honours, took an active part in the 20th anniversary celebrations of the parkrun last year. When it started there were only 13 runners.
He said on the anniversary: “Twenty years ago, we started with just 13 runners and five volunteers in Bushy Park, united by a simple passion for running and community.
“Today, parkrun has grown into a global movement, with millions of participants in 23 countries.
“What began as a small gathering has become a powerful force for good, promoting health, happiness, and togetherness.
“I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come, and even more excited for the future as we continue to inspire people of all abilities to get moving, connect with others, and give back through the spirit of charity and community.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PARKRUN GO TO PARKRUN.ORG.UK