A free weekly 2k event for children could soon become part of Sunday mornings in Market Drayton – but it needs a team of local volunteers to help get it started.
Plans are being developed for a new junior parkrun at The Grove School, giving children aged 4 to 14 another opportunity to get outside, be active and enjoy being part of something in their local community.
The aim is to hold the event every Sunday at 9am.
And despite the name, parkrun isn’t about being the fastest runner.
Children can run, jog, walk or skip their way around the 2k course. It’s about taking part, getting moving and having fun rather than winning a race.
A healthy start to a Sunday
Getting children active doesn’t necessarily mean joining a sports team or being particularly sporty.
Something as simple as getting outside and moving regularly can help make activity part of everyday life.
That’s one of the attractions of junior parkrun. There is no weekly charge and children can take part at their own pace.
It could become something families build into their Sunday routine – get up, head to The Grove, enjoy the 2k and then have the rest of the morning together.
The Grove School is on Newcastle Road in Market Drayton, so families taking part would already be close to the town centre. Get Information about Schools
Could Sunday morning become a Market Drayton morning?
We’d particularly like to encourage families coming from outside the town not to head straight home afterwards.
Make a morning of it.
After junior parkrun, come into Market Drayton for breakfast or a drink, have a wander through the town or take the children to the park.
Market Drayton Town Park gives families somewhere else to enjoy some fresh air, or you could turn a 2k junior parkrun into a properly active Sunday with a family swim at Market Drayton Swimming & Fitness Centre.
And, of course, completing 2k provides a pretty good excuse for a Sunday morning treat afterwards.
Kaz’s Cafe is open on Sunday mornings, while Costa Coffee is another town-centre option currently open on Sundays.
It’s another way an activity taking place in Market Drayton can encourage people to discover more of the town while they’re here.
Adults are needed too
Children may be doing the 2k, but junior parkrun can’t happen without adults giving some of their time.
The team currently needs to build a group of around 20 volunteers each week to put the event on.
You don’t have to be a runner.
Volunteering at parkrun can involve a variety of roles, and it gives parents, grandparents and other members of the community a chance to get involved even if they have no intention of running themselves.
You could volunteer while your child takes part, get involved as a family or simply help because you’d like to see another free activity established for children in Market Drayton.
The town already has a strong connection with running. The annual Market Drayton 10k also starts from The Grove School and relies on volunteers to make the event possible. Market Drayton Running Club
Help get Market Drayton junior parkrun started
At the moment, the important job is finding enough people who would like to be involved.
The plan is:
Every Sunday at 9am
The Grove School, Market Drayton
Free weekly 2k for 4–14-year-olds
Children will be able to walk, skip or run, while there are also opportunities to volunteer or simply come along and support them.
If you’d be interested in volunteering and helping to get Market Drayton junior parkrun off the ground, contact:
There is also a Facebook group and volunteer form accessible through the QR codes on the organisers’ poster.
A free activity for children, a reason for families to get outside together and another way to bring people into Market Drayton on a Sunday morning.
Now we just need the volunteers to help make it happen.
