Events to keep our ‘graduates’ running

The finishing line is in sight for thousands of our readers who signed up to Get Running and this weekend they will run for 30 minutes non-stop. Congratulations to everyone who has stuck to the programme and made incredible progress over the past eight weeks. And to those who might be a week or two behind – don’t lose hope, becoming a runner takes time as anyone who has done it will confirm.

So what's next? We are hoping that as many Get Runners as possible will go along to their nearest parkrun. One of the fastest-growing phenomenons in running and from its London base, parkrun is now represented in eight countries around the world where thousands of people enjoy taking part in free timed 5km runs every Saturday morning. An independent organisation, thanks to its enthusiastic volunteers, parkrun is now at 10 locations around Ireland every Saturday : Ardgillan, Griffeen, Malahide, Marlay and St Anne's in the Dublin area, Castle Demense and Clonakilty in Cork, Castlebar and Westport in Co Mayo, and the newest event has just launched in Naas, Co Kildare.

Register
To sign up with parkrun, simply visit parkrun.ie and click the register link at the top right of the page. You can then choose whether to register as a new runner or retrieve your profile if you've registered before. If you are new, you'll need to fill out your personal information and nominate the parkrun you will attend most frequently .

Once you review and submit your details, you will receive a confirmation email. Within this email is a link to your profile page on the parkrun site.

You will need to access this page and print out your unique barcode as this is how parkrun is able to give you a time for your run. Be sure to print out this barcode and carry it with you when you are running.

Remember, if you don’t register or if you fail to bring along your barcode, you will not receive an official time or an email afterwards marking your achievement.

In the meantime for a final spurt of inspiration here’s some great feedback from one of our new runners, Siobhán Walls: “I tried taking up running last summer, just after turning 51, and fell off the wagon on day two due to an old calf injury. Over Christmas I decided to start again and was one day into a Couch-to-5k app when I happened across Get Running. Someone and something local was far more appealing and I haven’t looked back. All sessions completed, am now at Week 7 and still in a state of disbelief that I’ve got this far.

“There are lots of memorable moments – one from Week 5 when I was about a minute into the first 11-minute run and wondered what felt so different. It took me a while to work out that what was different was how much less effort it was taking me to keep running.

“A real plus has been how going out running on a Monday evening has helped me achieve my other New Year’s resolution – to cut out alcohol during the week. Exercise is absolutely the best way to counter that urge to pour a glass of wine.

“Low point: feeling convinced that the alarm on my phone was broken. Time could not go this slowly.

“High point: the wonderful and unexpected pleasure of running on a dark, cold winter’s evening.”