Northamptonshire Parkrun Diary Part 1: Irchester Country Park
Running has risen in popularity over the last few years, with thousands lacing up their shoes for the first time in 2025, and others continuing a hobby which has lasted their whole life.
For many, Parkrun is their first foray into the sport, offering a 5km run each and every Saturday at 9am at over 1,300 locations across the UK.
Parkrun is a coming together of people in the local community to share in the sport that they love, from 16-minute speedsters, through to those who use it as an opportunity to embark on a leisurely walk with their friends to catch up on the news and gossip of the week.
It is the highlight of my weekend, and as more people are considering giving running a shot, we thought it would be a nice idea to attend every Parkrun in Northamptonshire over the next few weeks to see what each can offer, and why they’re so worthy of skipping the Saturday morning lie-in.
Irchester Country Park is my home event, taking place just outside Wellingborough, and often attracting upwards of 300 people.
Last week, 270 runners crossed the start line, and were greeted by welcoming and encouraging volunteers, and a beautiful route through the trees on a 3.1-mile out and back.
The route is the same every week, meaning it is always well maintained and marked out, and runners who frequent the park will know when it’s time for the all-important sprint finish. I have the worst sense of direction of anyone I’ve ever met, and at this point I could run the route blindfolded.
It’s not a route best suited for personal bests, but one that constantly keeps runners on their toes with frequent hills to navigate, and a trail path which can be uneven at times. However, what the course lacks in out-and-out speed, it more than makes up for in pure enjoyment, as weaving through the woods and feeling the packed trail underfoot makes the run feel like a connection to nature, instead of a race against the clock.
The volunteers do an amazing job, and it’s customary to give the marshalls dotted around the route a nod to show appreciation for the work they do.
At the start line, runners are reminded of the state of the trail, that there may be walkers on the course, and locations of defbrillators before they’re given the go-ahead. Announcements are read out including where visitors have travelled from, and who is celebrating a milestone event.
Mary Pearson is the co-event director and volunteer coordinator at Irchester Country Parkrun, having been involved for the last five years.
She said: “We’ve got volunteers who aren’t runners who just love the volunteering aspect, and people who volunteer because they’re injured. People volunteer for all sorts of reasons, we’ve got a really nice mix.
“I’m never bored of it, I just love being part of seeing people achieve and helping them to do that every week.
"It’s a lovely way to start a Saturday morning. Our volunteer group is such a lovely friendly environment, and so eclectic, with volunteers in their 70s and volunteers supported by their parents who are five or six. It’s just a lovely environment.”
This week’s run (tomorrow, August 30 at 9am) is the event’s food bank collection day, asking for donations to be passed on to The Daylight Centre, a Wellingborough-based charity committed to reducing poverty and social exclusion in the local area. The charity’s most needed items are sanitary products, squash, tinned vegetables, jelly, mugshots, pot noodles, biscuits, jam, and tinned meat.
More information about the course can be found here.