Report by Mike Gregson

PARKRUN was born on October 2, 2004 as 13 people went for a run around Bushy Park in London.

Fast forward 12 years and more than 400 events took place around the world on Saturday, attended by around 90,000 runners, and the parkrun success story continues to go from strength to strength.

Bushy celebrated run number 646 this week with a massive 1,212 runners taking part – their sixth best attendance and some way short of their 10th birthday run when 1,705 ran.

Bolton’s story began on February 5, 2011 with 60 runners attending and Tom Williams taking the inaugural first place in his one and only run at Bolton.

To celebrate International parkrun Day on Saturday runners were asked to wear their milestone T-shirts – white for juniors completing 10 runs, red for 50 runs, black for 100 and green for 250.

The new apricot home run shirts are growing by the week and there is the addition of the new purple for volunteers who have helped at 25 or more events – the lifeblood of making any parkrun happen. Bolton, as usual, did not disappoint on this score.

A total of 17 runners made their first visit to Bolton this week, with 10 totally new to parkrun.

John Keech was the first newcomer to parkrun over the line in 27th place.

Shay Walker, of Bolton United Harriers, is no stranger to token number one, with 14 of his 27 runs at Bolton taking first place and him never having finished outside the top four.

An even more familiar name was the first lady of Bolton, Paul Pilling of Burnden Road Runners who has been the leading female runner an amazing 33 out of 68 Bolton runs. She was 17th overall in 21:14.

Matt Driver, of Holcombe Harriers, was second over the line in 18:34 and Robert Short, of Burnden Road Runners, was third in 19:39.

Vicki Hamer of Burnden was second female in 23:00 and Olivia Kearney of Bolton United Harriers was third in 23:08.

Matthew Smith was the first junior runner through the finish funnel in 13th place, just 28 seconds separating the times of his last nine runs – a variation of just two per cent.

A massive 47 people achieved new personal best times on Saturday – 20 per cent of the field.

Stephen Bonney of Bolton United Harriers had a double celebration – his best finish of sixth place and his best time, but with only five of his 21 runs at Bolton not delivering a PB perhaps this was not a great surprise.

Ethan Wallace smashed his eighth PB of 2016, taking a huge 48 seconds off his previous best, going sub 23 minutes for the first time.

Linda O’Byrne of Burnden Road Runners has been knocking on the door of 25 minutes and smashed through it this week, knocking 35 second off her previous 25mins 1sec best.

Another breaking their next minute milestone was Brian Gathercole who took down the 28-minute barrier – his last three records edged a second closer and this effort smashed 33 seconds off.

Nicola Bennett has delivered new PBs in four of her last five runs and this week was no different, beating 34 minutes for the first time.

Runner of the week: Anthony Johnson, a junior runner who has amassed a massive 211 runs with 204 of them at Bolton, hit a new best this week for the first time in 160 runs, his last record stood from event 81 way back on September 22, 2012.

Saturday's results

Pos Name Club Age Time Runs

1 Shay Walker BUH VM45-49 18:08 27

2 Matt Driver SM30-34 18:34 31

3 Robert Short BRR SM20-24 19:39 218

4 Gary Furness SM25-29 19:46 152

5 Tony Bateson VM50-54 19:49 30

6 Stephen Bonney BUH VM45-49 20:08 PB 29

7 Steven Gore VM35-39 20:21 FT 83

8 Alan Cole VM55-59 20:25 FT 176

9 Peter Kearney BUH VM45-49 20:28 125

10 David Kouvarellis VM40-44 20:33 PB 20

11 Unknown

12 John Dutton SM25-29 20:38 PB 2

13 Matthew Smith HRMIH JM15-17 20:45 43

14 Michael Kenyon VM50-54 20:53 26

15 Jamie Dowdall VM40-44 20:57 42

16 Brendan Connaughton VM40-44 21:08 125

17 Paula Pilling BRR VW40-44 21:14 70

18 Marcus Simon Chester BRR VM40-44 21:15 130

19 Nigel Smith VM50-54 21:33 43

20 Laurence Keighley BRR VM45-49 21:35 107

21 Adam Knowles SM25-29 21:40 3

22 Stephen Horsman VM50-54 21:55 50

23 Andy Duffy BRR VM55-59 21:59 77

24 Lewis Hodgson JM15-17 22:30 85

25 Michael Wilkinson VM40-44 22:32 161

26 Tony Wall BRR VM55-59 22:37 143

27 John Keech VM35-39 22:43 FT 1

28 Ethan Wallace JM11-14 22:47 PB 34

29 Philip Mullineaux SM25-29 22:48 35

30 Anthony Grayson VM45-49 22:54 20

31 Lee Cooper VM40-44 22:54 7

32 Ian Riggs VM40-44 22:58 237

33 Graham King BMTC VM45-49 23 36

34 Vicki Hamer BRR SW30-34 23 51

35 Skev Georgiou VM35-39 23:05 FT 38

36 Kenneth Warner VM45-49 23:06 254

37 Unknown

38 Olivia Kearney BUH JW15-17 23:08 192

39 Cameron Lewarne JM15-17 23:21 41

40 Ellis Hawthornthwaite SM20-24 23:24 FT 1

41 Lewis Jackson SM20-24 23:27 22

42 Gary Avison SM25-29 23:31 12

43 Ani Das VM35-39 23:33 68

44 Lee Ashton VM35-39 23:39 3

45 Colm O'Brien BRR VM55-59 23:44 41

46 Ken Smith RAD VM55-59 23:45 117

47 Tom Gleaves SM20-24 23:45 116

48 Paul Roberts VM50-54 23:48 41

49 Chris Worthington BUH VM40-44 23:51 106

50 David Kelly VM55-59 23:52 6

51 Peter Saunders VM40-44 23:53 23

52 Chris Worthington VM45-49 23:57 54

53 Helen Harper VW45-49 24:04 154

54 Harry Harper VM45-49 24:07 82

55 Anthony Mackin SM30-34 24:10 9

56 Trevor Birch VM60-64 24:13 FT 1

57 Andrew Henderson BRR VM35-39 24:16 11

58 Paul Chamberlain VM45-49 24:22 13

59 Tom Rosillo SM25-29 24:24 FT 2

60 Helen Bury SW30-34 24:25 103

61 Linda O'Byrne BRR VW40-44 24:26 PB 80

62 Martin Whitehead SM30-34 24:32 23

63 Antony Sutton SM25-29 24:38 12

64 Julie Ann Hodgkiss VW45-49 24:39 29

65 Alan Tatterton VM55-59 24:42 106

66 Paul Taylor VM50-54 24:44 PB 24

67 Unknown

68 Philip Worsley VM50-54 25:10 199

69 Amber Pilling SW20-24 25:17 11

70 Kath Vickers VW55-59 25:21 152

71 Anne Rushton BMTC VW35-39 25:23 PB 13

72 Robert Andrew Clark VM50-54 25:30 PB 5

73 Gareth Doherty BRR VM40-44 25:38 80

74 Mark Weatherall VM50-54 25:41 PB 5

75 Ian Pudge BRR VM45-49 25:49 96

76 Gayle Gerrard VW40-44 25:51 105

77 Anthony Johnson JM11-14 25:58 PB 211

78 Paul Costello VM45-49 26:11 8

79 Alison Saunders VW35-39 26:23 113

80 Julie Robertson VW45-49 26:32 22

81 Katherine Baines SW30-34 26:32 141

82 Judith Bonnar VW45-49 26:36 219

83 Les Ford VM50-54 26:37 15

84 Adam Traynor VM35-39 26:40 172

85 Neil Bonnar VM50-54 26:43 219

86 Geoffrey Taggart VM75-79 26:45 14

87 Mark Stokes VM35-39 26:46 55

88 Thomas Heyes JM11-14 26:48 PB 9

89 David Allen VM65-69 26:48 87

90 William L Vickers VM60-64 26:53 110

91 Brian Tull VM70-74 26:54 218

92 Eileen Royle RAD VW65-69 26:59 175

93 Tony Lythe VM70-74 27:05 85

94 Ibrahim Ougradar SM30-34 27:08 3

95 James Smithers VM35-39 27:09 46

96 Unknown

97 Jack Broadhurst JM10 27:26 PB 2

98 David Broadhurst VM40-44 27:26 64

99 Adrian Ashburn VM35-39 27:32 5

100 Gregg Beardwell SM30-34 27:35 51

101 Robert Lilliott SM25-29 27:39 33

102 Kerry Chadwick VW45-49 27:41 8

103 Paul Gerrard VM65-69 27:43 70

104 Brian Gathercole VM60-64 27:44 PB 40

105 Andrew Dunn VM40-44 27:45 42

106 George Williams VM65-69 27:48 59

107 Unknown

108 Peter Leigh VM55-59 27:56 16

109 Steven Howarden VM40-44 27:58 73

110 Damien Brindle VM40-44 27:58 22

111 Ivan Rubery VM50-54 28:09 33

112 Theresa Taylor-Kay VW40-44 28:13 50

113 Charlotte Vickers BUH JW10 28:13 PB 7

114 Anthony Halligan VM45-49 28:19 6

115 Andrew Duckworth SM25-29 28:31 PB 3

116 Denise Kay VW50-54 28:32 81

117 Francis Mackin VM65-69 28:34 10

118 Derek Martin Smith VM50-54 28:40 8

119 Carley Friedrich VW35-39 28:42 PB 2

120 Maurice Halliwell VM60-64 28:44 20

121 Terence Tobin VM50-54 28:46 15

122 Lee Hulme SM30-34 28:49 FT 97

123 Caroline Glover VW35-39 28:50 FT 13

124 Debra Ridings VW50-54 28:54 30

125 Neal Clarkson VM50-54 28:56 54

126 Sumit Guhathakurta VM40-44 28:57 61

127 Nicholas Murphy VM35-39 28:58 37

128 Christopher Brickell VM55-59 29:10 61

129 Ian Platt VM35-39 29:15 9

130 Wasyl Gelyczak BRR VM45-49 29:19 PB 11

131 Nadia Raza BRR VW35-39 29:21 15

132 Simon Wrigley VM55-59 29:23 18

133 Joseph David Walker JM11-14 29:25 143

134 Debra Hennessey BRR VW45-49 29:25 105

135 Wayne Holden RAD VM35-39 29:26 PB 19

136 Paula Hopkinson VW45-49 29:27 109

137 Naomi Elliott SW25-29 29:28 PB 5

138 Caroline Vickers BUH VW40-44 29:32 PB 9

139 Nia Bell VW55-59 29:40 21

140 Unknown

141 Katharine Collingwood VW35-39 29:46 2

142 Andrea McGee SW25-29 29:50 6

143 Anthony Maxwell VM55-59 30:00 PB 14

144 Bernard Tumelty VM75-79 30:00 FT 1

145 John Ainsworth JM15-17 30:05 9

146 James Fearnley SM30-34 30:12 17

147 Adam Holmes SM25-29 30:23 9

148 Ian Pattison SM30-34 30:31 PB 3

149 Georgina Heyworth VW45-49 30:32 36

150 Ben Dewhurst BUH JM11-14 30:39 PB 2

151 Frances Johnson VW50-54 30:40 181

152 Unknown

153 Andrew Sherman VM45-49 30:41 FT 1

154 Ruth Lilliott VW50-54 30:43 PB 9

155 Teresa Riley VW50-54 30:50 14

156 Sheila Garewal VW60-64 30:53 20

157 Lauren Hulme SW25-29 31:01 11

158 Philip Syddall VM60-64 31:06 PB 3

159 Elaine Bailey VW55-59 31:09 59

160 Rosalyn Dines BMTC VW45-49 31:10 23

161 Richard Lord BRR VM50-54 31:15 147

162 Bernard Paice VM50-54 31:20 9

163 Susan Moss VW55-59 31:24 PB 2

164 Unknown

165 Jackie Birks VW45-49 31:37 PB 2

166 Keith Harper VM40-44 31:45 46

167 Wayne Gaskell VM50-54 31:47 20

168 Geoffrey Winder VM55-59 31:51 64

169 Jon Davidson VM45-49 31:54 66

170 Unknown

171 Rebecca May SW30-34 32:02 PB 3

172 Keith Parker VM75-79 32:05 PB 4

173 Sara Das SW25-29 32:10 74

174 Shaowen Tan VW45-49 32:10 PB 27

175 Wendy Doxey VW55-59 32:12 76

176 Susan Tobin VW45-49 32:13 24

177 Delia Ariff VW55-59 32:14 PB 2

178 Rhian Vickers VW35-39 32:15 5

179 Marie Gaskell VW50-54 32:16 22

180 Susan Cain VW45-49 32:35 17

181 Zee Cooper VW40-44 32:48 FT 1

182 Grace Makin BUH JW11-14 32:50 16

183 Ben Maliti VM35-39 32:52 25

184 Christine Holden BMTC VW50-54 32:59 62

185 Unknown

186 Stuart Waldram VM40-44 33:03 PB 4

187 Gareth Stone VM35-39 33:13 15

188 Jayne Louise Walker VW45-49 33:15 156

189 Jared Lyne VM40-44 33:29 PB 4

190 Unknown

191 Helen Field VW50-54 33:37 9

192 Samantha Craven SW30-34 33:39 4

193 Nicola Bennett VW35-39 33:47 PB 67

194 Anna Jones VW35-39 33:55 FT 1

195 Paul Jones VM50-54 33:55 13

196 Charlotte Fitzharris VW35-39 33:56 PB 5

197 Rebecca Keight VW35-39 33:56 77

198 Stephen Rothwell VM60-64 33:57 66

199 Justine Taylor VW45-49 33:59 PB 2

200 Linda Haines BRR VW55-59 34:03 16

201 Paul Drew VM45-49 34:06 FT 1

202 Megan Crehan SW20-24 34:07 54

203 Krystina Dewhurst BUH SW30-34 34:18 PB 5

204 Vanessa Rushton SW30-34 34:35 10

205 Rhian Driver SW30-34 34:39 41

206 Katherine Smith SW30-34 34:47 8

207 Louise Wall BRR VW50-54 34:49 96

208 Emmalene Byrne VW35-39 34:49 14

209 Julie Bower BRR VW45-49 34:54 70

210 Logan Byrne JM10 35:02 PB 3

211 Frannie Thurlbeck VM55-59 35:07 48

212 Wayne Clemson VM40-44 35:11 PB 2

213 Unknown

214 Unknown

215 Shani Wallace VW35-39 35:25 17

216 Rachael Howarth VW35-39 35:29 99

217 Dianne Errington VW50-54 35:37 FT 4

218 Cheryl Williams VW35-39 35:43 22

219 Kath Rothwell VW50-54 35:54 35

220 Liz Spencer VW55-59 36:02 15

221 Paul McGreavy VM45-49 36:08 225

222 Neha Bagewadi JW11-14 36:27 10

223 Craig Withers VM55-59 36:46 125

224 Unknown

225 Charlotte Weston SW30-34 37:27 PB 4

226 Michael Ainsworth JM11-14 37:37 15

227 Cassie Williams SW30-34 37:43 PB 4

228 Sharon Drew VW45-49 38:02 FT 1

229 Anna Pattison SW25-29 38:04 FT 1

230 Ann Butler BRR VW50-54 38:04 45

231 Joanne Larke VW35-39 38:14 PB 14

232 Khadijah Ali JW15-17 38:18 12

233 Anna Clark JW11-14 38:41 7

234 Tracy Tobin VW45-49 38:58 15

235 Siobhan Pimlott SW20-24 39:07 66

236 Unknown

237 Jo Culf VW40-44 39:17 PB 4

238 Ibrahim Ali JM11-14 39:19 8

239 Jackie Foster VW55-59 39:32 PB 2

240 Brian Mather VM70-74 40:29 149

241 Abigail King BMTC JW11-14 41:18 34

242 Helen Smithers VW40-44 41:31 34

243 Daniela McDonald VW35-39 42:18 4

244 Lawrence McDonald BRR VM40-44 42:19 53

245 Josie Browne JW10 42:34 PB 3

246 Alan Gibson SM20-24 44:55 PB 5

247 Ann Roughley VW45-49 45:25 PB 3

248 Cecilia Woods BUH VW55-59 45:25 114

249 Frank Wood VM70-74 45:28 118