Parkrun started in Teddington, London, in 2004. Since then it's spread all over the world. The basic idea is that people come together to improve their fitness and take part in a social activity - so you find out where your nearest parkrun event is, turn up and join in. The events are held weekly, you can start at different times and you are timed doing the 5km run, so you can see how your fitness is improving week by week.

The events are free, though this is only possible because they get sponsorship from big sportswear companies such as Adidas. Local councils do pay part of the cost as well, as there are a lot of health and social benefits. Anyone can start a parkrun group, in fact the organizers hope that eventually everyone will have access to a parkrun near them. It's possible to get an information package called 'parkrun in a box' to make it easier to start one yourself.