by Carla Caruso

October is “parkwalk” month.

The campaign is an initiative of parkrun, for fitness enthusiasts worldwide, who lace up for free, 5km community events each Saturday – in parks and open spaces.

Your Adelaide Park Lands have parkruns along the River Torrens / Karrawirra Parri, at Pakapakanthi / Victoria Park (Park 16), and more recently, at Lefevre Park / Nantu Wama (Park 6).

This month marks 18 years since UK founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt shouted “Go!” at the very first parkrun event.

To make the anniversary one to remember, the organisation’s dedicated the whole of October to ‘parkwalk’.

Parkrun is intended to be “a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience, where there is no time limit and no one finishes last”. “Everyone is welcome to come along, whether you walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate,” its site says.

If you’ve ever felt intimated to join in, now could be the time to take that first step. You can even bring a dog or kids along - or use walking poles.

Sinton-Hewitt was motivated to create parkrun after experiencing personal challenges, including bullying during childhood, and finding an outlet in exercise.

This month, Tori Dixon-Whittle, the CEO of Heysen – The Cedars and a former actress, told SA Weekend magazine her ‘perfect Saturday’ included a parkrun.

“The 5km parkrun down at Victoria Park [Pakapakanthi, Park 16] is one of my favourites. I find it so invigorating to run under those big gums with a bunch of likeminded people.”

According to the National Heart Foundation of Australia, walking for an average of 30 minutes a day can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke by 35 per cent, and Type 2 diabetes by 40 per cent.

For more on other park running groups, check out our article here. Alternatively, head along to one of APA’s own guided walks - for a side of history with your walking exercise.