Sponsored by Pennine Healthcare.

This is the story of Parkrun, told for the very first time from the man who started it all.

In search of connection and purpose, Paul came up with a simple idea: he started a free, weekly 5km time trial run every Saturday morning in his local park. Since 2004, it has grown from just 13 runners to a 10 million-strong community across five continents, bringing together people from all walks of life in search of health, happiness and community.

Growing up in the brutal South African care system, Paul Sinton-Hewitt found solace in running, offering him resilience and a sense of self-worth.  Settling in the UK with his family he built – and then lost – a successful career and then a devastating injury threatened to cut him off from his running lifeline.  Thus was Parkrun born.