Parkrun celebrated its 20th anniversary this month but for two Cumbrian women, it marked the end of a five-month fundraising journey.

Sarah Grundy and Karen Jones recently set an exciting challenge for new and regular runners at Watchtree to keep the community motivated and supported throughout the summer.

The challenge encouraged participants to commit to six Cumbrian parkruns over a five-month period, providing both a physical and social boost.

The organisers were thrilled with the response. “We were delighted that 27 runners agreed to participate in the challenge. We created a private group to let people know where everyone was heading out each week, and this provided the incentive for others to turn up,” said Sarah and Karen.

“There was always a café stop afterwards—the weekly photos of cake at various places around the county were as important as those images of people at parkruns!”

The group’s challenge not only fostered a community spirit but also raised £187.50 for Watchtree.