PARK LIFE
Men's Fitness|Febraury 2020
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN A LEAFY CORNER OF WEST LONDON, PARKRUN HAS SPARKED A FITNESS REVOLUTION. EVERY SATURDAY MORNING, UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY – AND INDEED AROUND THE WORLD – WALKERS, JOGGERS AND RUNNERS OF ALL SHAPES, SIZES, AGES AND ABILITIES HEAD TO THEIR LOCAL PARK FOR A FREE, TIMED 5K EVENT. BUT WITH ITS EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY AND INCLUSIVITY, IT HAS BECOME MORE THAN JUST A SERIES OF RUNNING EVENTS: FOR MANY, IT’S AN OUTLET – A SAFE CONSTANT IN THEIR WEEKLY ROUTINE
Kieran Devlin
PARK LIFE
I can blame my park run addiction on the pub,” says Paul Shipman. “I’d gone for a drink at The Twisted Barrel in Coventry and one of my wife's friends asked me what sort of running I'd been doing. I told her I'd just been putting my trainers on and going along the street, and she said, ‘We should do park run.’

“Two pints in, I foolishly asked what she meant and she explained that every Saturday morning you get to Memorial Park for 9am and run 5k. I said I’d go with her, and the park run spiral started from there.”

Shipman, in his mid-30s and working in HR, had taken up running after his son was born two months premature. Running became a cathartic coping mechanism during that highly stressful period of his life. To start, he’d grab his trainers for a jog round the block, “because the street is always open,” before park run entered his life and became not only a treasured pastime, but an “incredible change for good” for his mental health.

Five years ago, Shipman was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. “Everybody knew it was coming,” he explains, “including me, but I'd avoided going to the doctors and being treated, and I couldn't cope with it.”

With the issues around his son’s birth, his diagnosis, and a stressful duration in his career, Shipman found running therapeutic. “Running is mine,” he says. “The only person it relies on is me, the only person it’s down to is me.”

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Popping along to Coventry’s Memorial Park that Saturday morning proved even more revelatory. Shipman met a friend of a friend, and then another, and they ran together at an easy pace. He was applauded by the stewards as he went around, and when they finished he and his new mates went for coffee.

Bu hikaye Men's Fitness dergisinin Febraury 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Men's Fitness dergisinin Febraury 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MEN'S FITNESS DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
DRESS TO IMPRESS
Men's Fitness UK

DRESS TO IMPRESS

In the latest campaign from Charles Tyrwhitt, rugby player Marcus Smith and cricketer Joe Root are taking the lead and stepping up their offduty game with some sharp summer outfits. From tailored linen to comfy chinos and lightweight blazers, summer just got stylish

time-read
2 dak  |
August 2024
Sleep is crucial for both metabolic health and athletic performance
Men's Fitness UK

Sleep is crucial for both metabolic health and athletic performance

How well, and how long, did you sleep last night? It’s an important question, because in its Sleep Manifesto 2024, The Sleep Charity notes that a whopping 43% of adults sleep less than the NHS-recommended seven to nine hours.

time-read
2 dak  |
August 2024
CARDIO SWEAT
Men's Fitness UK

CARDIO SWEAT

Elevate your aerobic fitness and fast-track fat loss with this cardio workout from the Movement Blueprint founder Harvey Lawton

time-read
1 min  |
August 2024
THE LEARN ROPES
Men's Fitness UK

THE LEARN ROPES

Skipping is more than a throwback. Done right, it offers a number of serious health benefits in Skipping is more than a throwback. Done right, it off ers a number of serious health benefi ts in a budget-friendly and convenient formula that can be done virtually anywhere

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
MOUNTAINEERING IS ABOUT THE TENSION BETWEEN HUMAN NATURE AND MOUNTAIN NATURE.IT'S ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DYING
Men's Fitness UK

MOUNTAINEERING IS ABOUT THE TENSION BETWEEN HUMAN NATURE AND MOUNTAIN NATURE.IT'S ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DYING

MF meets mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
BUDGET BEATS
Men's Fitness UK

BUDGET BEATS

Apple’s new low-price buds punch well above their price tag

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
FITNESS GOALS
Men's Fitness UK

FITNESS GOALS

Teddy Sheringham’s playbook for staying in shape in your fifties

time-read
2 dak  |
August 2024
Summer SIZZLERS
Men's Fitness UK

Summer SIZZLERS

Fuel your summer with these fresh, high-protein recipes

time-read
4 dak  |
August 2024
THE MONT BLANC MONSTER
Men's Fitness UK

THE MONT BLANC MONSTER

The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) is among the most challenging and prestigious trail running events in the world. Typically held annually in the last week of August, it circumnavigates the iconic Mont Blanc massif. Covering approximately 106 miles, with a gruelling elevation gain of around 32,800 feet, the race demands exceptional endurance, technical skill, and mental fortitude – as Dominic Bliss witnessed for himself at last year’s event…

time-read
6 dak  |
August 2024
FEEL THE BURN
Men's Fitness UK

FEEL THE BURN

Training for HYROX? This lung-busting workout from HYROX master trainer and Represent 247 athlete Jake Dearden will get you race ready

time-read
2 dak  |
August 2024