---
title: "Parkrun’s enduring magic – free, fair and the family values behind the movement"
description: "In a Daily Maverick webinar on parkrun, the global phenomenon that has redefined Saturday mornings, founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE and parkrun South Africa CEO Bruce Fordyce joined Mark Heywood to delve into the movement’s remarkable journey and its impact on millions."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "DAILY MAVERICK WEBINAR"
author: "Daily Maverick"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dailymaverick/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-06-17-parkruns-enduring-magic-free-fair-and-the-family-values-behind-the-movement/"
published: "2025-06-17T20:49:53"
updated: "2025-06-17T20:49:55"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 360
---

# Parkrun’s enduring magic – free, fair and the family values behind the movement

> In a Daily Maverick webinar on parkrun, the global phenomenon that has redefined Saturday mornings, founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE and parkrun South Africa CEO Bruce Fordyce joined Mark Heywood to delve into the movement’s remarkable journey and its impact on millions.

By Daily Maverick · Published 17 June 2025, 22:49 SAST · Updated 17 June 2025, 22:49 SAST

## Key points
- In a spirited celebration of community and inclusivity, Paul Sinton-Hewitt's new book chronicles the meteoric rise of parkrun from a humble 13 runners to a global movement of over 11 million participants, showing that running isn’t just about speed—it’s also about building a community, one free 5K at a time.
- Celebrating the launch of Paul Sinton-Hewitt's book, *One Small Step*, the webinar highlights the origins and values of parkrun as a global social movement.
- Featuring insights from Sinton-Hewitt and Bruce Fordyce, the discussion showcases parkrun’s explosive growth from 13 runners in 2004 to more than 2,600 events worldwide.
- Emphasising inclusivity, parkrun welcomes participants of all abilities, with slower finish times reflecting its commitment to community and participation over competition.
- The founders stress the importance of maintaining parkrun’s core values—free access, volunteer-led operations, and a focus on health and wellbeing—as it continues to inspire healthier communities globally.

## Content

[YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlyjckCGqSg)

#### **10 takeaways from the webinar:**

1. **Genesis and growth:** The webinar celebrated Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s new book, One Small Step, The Definitive Account of a Run that Became a Global Movement, detailing parkrun’s origins and its fundamental values that have birthed a global social movement.
2. **Visionary voices:** Moderator Mark Heywood highlighted the rare collaboration of Sinton-Hewitt, the visionary founder, and Fordyce, a nine-time Comrades Marathon winner and parkrun SA president.
3. **Explosive expansion:** Beginning with just 13 runners in 2004, parkrun has exploded to more than 2,600 events in 25 countries, boasting 11+ million registered participants and nearly half a million weekly global attendees.
4. **Founder’s roots:** Sinton-Hewitt revealed how his challenging childhood profoundly shaped parkrun’s core values: a run that will be free forever, an emphasis on fairness, and a commitment to building a sense of family.
5. **Fordyce’s pivotal role:** Bruce Fordyce, initially a sceptic, became a passionate advocate after running the Bushy Park parkrun in London. He was instrumental in launching parkrun in South Africa in 2011, now with 1.6 million registered members.
6. **Inclusivity through slower paces:** parkrun prides itself on its inclusivity; “slower” average finish times (eg, 43 minutes in SA) reflect greater participation by walkers and people of all abilities.
7. **The community’s heartbeat:** Volunteers are the bedrock of parkrun’s operations. The discussion underscored the strong volunteer spirit in parkruns across the world, highlighting the reciprocal joy of giving back to the community.
8. **Charity, not competition:** parkrun is fundamentally a health and wellbeing charity, not a competitive race. This mission guides decisions like removing public competitive stats, reinforcing its focus on participation, and social connection.
9. **Protecting core values:** Sinton-Hewitt and Fordyce stressed the critical importance of safeguarding parkrun’s founding values: free forever, a volunteer-led structure, and resistance to commercialisation, essential for its continued global reach.
10. **A springboard:** parkrun serves as a powerful catalyst for personal transformation, inspiring individuals from spectators to volunteers, walkers to runners, and ultimately fostering healthier, happier communities worldwide. **DM**

*Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s inspiring book, One Small Step, a testament to hope and community, is a must-read. Find it now at the [Daily Maverick Shop](https://shop.dailymaverick.co.za/product/one-small-step/).*

*This summary was generated with the assistance of the Gemini AI language model.*