Parks are places of birdsong and play. Somewhere to pause and dream. Pockets of wilderness that are welcoming to all.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll make an instant beeline into a park if passing on a run.
Parks offer runners welcome relief and recreation away from the polluted air and hectic streets of city life. Bringing the countryside into the city. And trees into the daily life of urbanites.
Parks are also leafy dramas in their own right. As they open their gates, so too their soul, with all walks of life flocking there to mingle.
On this Joy Run we’ll make a special visit to our favourite green spaces and share them with the world.
How to Run This Theme: Running in Parks
Whether you’re a city dweller or live in the countryside, there’s a few ways to do this Joy Run.
Here’s a few ways to enjoy a run in the rain:
- running through as many parks as you can
- picking a park as a destination to end your run
- soaking up the last flowers and leaves of autumn
- taking a pit stop at a park café
- a moment of reflection in a leafy sanctuary
- running the rings of nature on a greenbelt
- turning countryside trails into your own playground
- enjoying the endless horizons from a hilltop park
- wildlife or romantics making use of a boating lake
…and the like.
Public parks are also snapshots in time. Parks in different locations, built in different times, will say something about a city’s influences and aspirations. I’m excited to see what pictures you share.
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Where a Joy of Running in Parks Took me
This week’s theme was a chance to catch up with a long-time supporter of Joy Runs, Sam.
One of the earliest members of the community and in the same town, we decided to run together on a tour of York’s parks.
A great way to piece together the city, it also doubled-up as an opportunity to chat about Joy Runs – to learn what works in Sam’s eyes, what needs tweaking, and what it could become. Thanks for your feedback Sam!
We even stumbled upon an old friend, Paddington Bear, in the Minster Gardens…
A short history of public parks in Britain
It’s crazy to think that parks are only 180 years old in the UK.
Before the 1840s there were no public parks in Britain, other than the Royal Parks. There were narrow paved walks and private estate parks, but not urban green spaces that were open and free to all.
This was partly due to the close proximity of rural locations, with urban sprawl yet to take place. The countryside still within walking distance. However, the industrial revolution led to the rapid expansion of cities and overcrowding, pollution, and demographic pressure. Public parks were a response to these issues, and became an important public space for social interaction and events.
As towns grew, they pushed out the natural world and limited people’s interactions with nature. We have campaigners and politicians such as Edwin Chadwick and Robert Peel to thank for championing the creation of green spaces for the benefit of all.
Parks would adopt the same universal characteristics. These generous plots would offer free entry, decadent floral beds, miniature woodlands, ornamental boating lakes and statues. Parks would be flexible spaces for a wide variety of functions, such as social meet-ups, dog walking, musical recitals, visiting fairs, and even military drills. Children’s play areas and cafés would follow.
The format worked, as so many parks remain largely untouched to this day. The virtues of free and easy access to green spaces needed now more than ever.
The UK has more than 27,000 public parks and green spaces, so hopefully this Joy Run has something for everyone.
→ Other ‘Running In Nature‘ themes
