Or, Renton parkrun #123.  We should have known what an amazing event it would be with a number like that, but truly, Renton parkrun #123 was incredible.

First off, we had 51 attendees!  Twenty-three of them were first-timers, as we welcomed The Silver Striders, a local club for runners and walkers over the age of 50, to the parkrun family.  We hope to see them at many more events in the future.

…     The Silver Strider's Mission:
         ……    To give a voice to runners and walkers over 50 years of age
                ……   To give motivation through friendly competition and recognition
                             To overcome age discrimination through education.
                                  To promote fitness through a healthy lifestyle

Renton parkrun was added to the Silver Striders' calendar as part of their Tortoise and Hare Handicap Series, and we were so thankful that they chose to attend our event.  If you'd like to learn more about the Silver Striders, you can do so at their website, www.silverstrider.com

Second, congratulations to Jeff Westhead on being our 5,000 finisher!  He was on track to be our 4,999 finisher when he was passed by Keith Lerew in the last half mile.  As you can see from this photo, Jeff was happy with how it all turned out.

Third, not only did we have TWELVE people accomplish a PR (personal record, or PPR, personal parkrun record), including the top 5 finishers, but we had a new women's course record!  Congratulations to Becca Kawaoka for her 17:40 finish (her previous parkrun PR was 19:07)!

Here's Becca (in the middle, long sleeve grey top) ringing the PR bell with some of her parkrunning friends!

We love having that PR bell and love to hear it ring again and again!

And last but certainly not least, thank you to our amazing crew of volunteers.  We have a lot of fun, and it was great to see how well it all went with our amazing turnout.  Parkrun is only possible when we have volunteers, so let us know when you can help out and we'll get you on the roster!

Last week was Renton parkrun #121, our triumphant return after a 73 week break (give or take....my math might be off by a week or two) due to, you guessed it, Covid-19.

While we always like to give a shout-out to those who achieved a personal best time, parkrun is about running AND walking, it's about those who can run the distance in 20 minutes and those who run and/or walk it in an hour.  It's about our littlest parkrunners who come with their parents, who ride in the stroller, or like Eleanor Lee and others, volunteer with Dad as tail walker.  It's about taking that first step into outdoor exercise, that return to running or walking after injury or illness or just falling out of the habit, that community spirit of volunteering and cheering for friends and strangers alike, and that reminder that every Saturday there's someplace to go with family or friends, or even on your own.  We would love to see our parkrun family grow, so please share what we're all about with those around you.  After the trying times we have had, it's so nice to get outside, get some exercise, meet new people and become a part this global force that is parkrun.

Next week is Renton parkrun #123 and we should be seeing our 5,000th finisher cross the finish line.  Will it be you??  We're excited for this milestone and hope to see you there!