Suffolk parkrun events set for July return after latest roadmap delay

Boris Johnson's announcement that the date for step four of the roadmap out of lockdown will be delayed means parkrun's return has also been put back, to Saturday, July 24.

The runs, held in places including Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Kesgrave and Felixstowe, had already had to push back their starting date.

Graham Rodgers, who is East Suffolk ambassador for parkrun UK, said: "I refuse to get disappointed about this. We are now looking forward to when we can start up again in July."

A group at Kesgrave parkrun (Image: RACHEL EDGE)

Junior parkruns for children aged four to 10 have already returned. Mr Rodgers said: "We have had a fantastic reaction and the children are really enjoying it."

He added the return of the junior runs had helped parkrun volunteers to train in new safety measures introduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The national leadership of parkrun has announced enough landowner permissions are now in place - safeguarding the future of the hugely popular 5k runs.

In an official statement, a spokesperson for Parkrun said: "Whilst this delay is disappointing, it is now our intention that 5k events in England will restart on Saturday, July 24.

"A huge amount of work has been done in recent weeks to ensure we have permission to return from the large majority of landowners."

Locally, Mr Rodgers, who is also organiser of the Ipswich parkrun, said the plan was for all the Suffolk 5k parkruns to return at once.

He added negotiations with landowners are still going on over the Sizewell run, but he did not envisage any problems with this.