IT is days like Saturday that make up for all the hard work that goes into running the parkrun during winter months.

Lovely sun, happy volunteers and even happier runners numbering well in excess of 300 are what the weekly free, timed and marshalled 5k run around Leverhulme Park is all about.

My last appearance at the event was a fortnight previously when the worst downpour in our history took place, and we left Leverhulme soaked to the bone.

What a difference two weeks make.

This week, the 213th event in Bolton parkrun's history, there were 331 runners, of whom 29 were first timers. A brilliant 65 new personal bests were set, and representatives of 21 different athletics clubs took part.

In the ladies' top placings, Lorraine Hopley (Rossendale Harriers & AC), Janet Kenyon and Laura Evans (Bury AC) were the first three to complete the course, while Thomas Fletcher, Tom Lucas (Horwich RMI Harriers) and someone without a barcode were their male counterparts.

Among those who set new personal bests were Peter Johnson who clocked 22mins 35secs, Joanne Horrocks (29:23), Linda O’Byrne (25:19) and Stephen Rothwell (32:43).

Parkrun tourists this week included runners from Heaton parkrun, Telford parkrun and South Manchester parkrun.

There were 21 volunteers who enabled the event to take place, pointing, clapping, cheering, scanning barcodes and timing the runners as reliably and efficently as ever.

If it wasn't for these crucial people giving up their time to play a part in parkrun the event would not be able to happen.

We are always on the lookout for helpers and we promise that each and every role is easy and that volunteers will only ever be asked to do something they are 100 per cent comfortable with.

Simply drop an email to BoltonOffice@parkrun.com and let us know the date you would like to help.

Runner of the week

Martin Burrill

A relative newcomer to running, Martin has seen a brilliant run of form and improvement in his 75 parkruns.

With his first new personal best since August 2014, Martin knocked 45 seconds off his last personal best to finish in 26:46.