MORE than 6,400 Tendring runners have taken part in Harwich and Clacton parkruns in the past eight years.

The parkrun phenomenon is celebrating it’s eighth anniversary after having inspired more than 78,000 people to run or walk a combined distance of 3.7 million kilometres across 21 parkrun sites in Essex.

Some of the parkruns in Tendring take place along Harwich and Clacton’s seafronts.

Parkruns take place in more than 650 locations across the UK, which create opportunities for all ages and abilities to get involved, with additional benefits of social inclusion and building new friendships.

In Essex, ten junior parkruns, which are aimed for four to 14 year olds, have also been created to encourage more families to take part in physical activity and tackle child obesity levels.

Jason Fergus, head of Active Essex, said: “We are delighted to have played a significant role to support the set up of local parkruns and encouraging people of all ages and abilities to take part, which is closely aligned with our strategy to get one million lives active in Essex.

“We would like to say thank you to all of the volunteers and local communities that come together every week to make these parkruns happen, and to the 2,000 plus Essex residents who get up early every Saturday morning to take part.”

Paul Brooks, leader of the Chelmsford Central Parkrun, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many people encouraging one another, having fun and getting fit in the process.

“It has become much more than simply getting active, but those taking part are also enjoying making new friends and feeling part of their local community.

“Anybody can join and it’s so easy to get started.

“You just need to register online, print out your unique barcode and you’re good to go.”

To find your nearest parkrun, visit bit.ly/parkrunEssex.

For more information about sport and physical activities, visit activeessex.org.